


Reunited

by Wevebeenheremanytimes



Category: The Man in the High Castle (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, One True Pairing, Plot, Plot Twists, Sexual Content, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:41:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 37,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23054902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wevebeenheremanytimes/pseuds/Wevebeenheremanytimes
Summary: This takes place at the end of Season 3 where Juliana travels to an alternate universe. She arrives to this new place to find a non-Nazi Joe. She soon discovers a whole new problem in this universe and figures out how to navigate the new life she has ended up in.
Relationships: Joe Blake/Juliana Crain
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It starts with a bit of overlap with the end of Season 3, right before Juliana arrives in the alternate universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfic, so please let me know what you think. I'm really enjoying writing this as I was sad about the ending to Juliana and Joe's story.  
> Enjoy!

The guards threw Juliana’s limp body on the bed in the holding cell, the mattress hard and lumpy, but what more had she expected. The small concrete cell was dimly lit and contained only the bed she was on and a metal chair in the corner. She was conscious and aware of her surroundings but couldn’t move her body; regardless of how much she tried. A wave of nausea broke over her. She swallowed hard, worried she might puke; she took a couple deep breaths to ease the feeling. As she lay there feeling completely helpless, she drifted in and out of sleep, waiting for the feeling to return in her limbs. The events of her final moments with Joe filled her head thanks to the photos John had showed her. They brought back so many feelings: hurt, betrayal, anger, grief. Tears stung her eyes. She'd had a hard time getting past the events of that night, a lot of whisky and cigarettes. She knew that it was her only way out, and if she hasn’t killed him, he likely would have killed her, maybe not in that room that night, but eventually. Once he had gotten what he needed out of her. That thought didn’t make it hurt any less; she loved him. Not the Joe that had returned from Berlin, but the Joe she had met all those months ago. The Joe that she had risked her life for to put on that boat to Mexico. She hoped that in another life, another world, that they were happy together.

A little while later she was starting to regain feeling in her limbs. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a tray of food that had been placed on the metal chair while she was asleep. Determined to make it out of here alive, she pushed herself up on the bed so she was seated on the edge. Her body ached with pain as she moved, the explosion in the mine left her bruised and battered. She pulled one leg up and crossed it under her to keep her balance; she didn’t feel very sturdy but fought to hold herself upright. With her hands in her lap, she closed her eyes and calmed herself by counting her breaths.  
Deep in thought, she was able to ignore the noises she could hear in the distance, the faint smell of damp concrete and the flickering lights around her. Suddenly she heard the door to her cell slam open. Her eyes remained closed but she knew it was John Smith. She heard the click of his gun cocking, her body felt weightless and her mind was clear. followed by the sound of the gunshot, almost as if it was in the distance. Then suddenly pain flooded her left shoulder.  
_He fucking shot me_ she thought to herself, eyes still closed. The pain was too intense, everything went black.

When she opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the cell anymore. Lying flat on the grass, she stared up at the blue sky and noticed few fluffy white clouds scattered about. Rolling to her side, she grasped her left shoulder in pain.   
“Fuck” she swore aloud. She had no idea where she was, or how she was going to find help. She could see it was nearly sunset and she’d be lucky to have an hour of daylight left. She sucked in a breath and tried to sit, but she was too weak from the pain and fell back onto the grass and rolled onto her side so she could look around, and hopefully get a better idea of where she was. There was no one around that she could see, but there was a lake or something nearby. After a few minutes she felt a bit of strength and tried again to sit, she was a little dizzy, but she managed to stay upright. _Yes, definitely a lake_ , she thought, it was quite large across and flat calm. She noticed a path through the tree line and a small dock on the lake to the left of where she sat. She couldn’t help but wonder why she had landed there of all places, this lake which seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, with no one around.   
She carefully stood, making sure not to fall over. A wave of nausea hit her again, she assumed it was from the travel. She fell to her knees and caught herself with her right arm. _What the hell_ she thought to herself as she tried to regather the strength to stand once again.  
Once standing, she headed to the wooden dock she saw, it stretched out onto the lake, and was low enough she could easily wash the blood from her hands and maybe she would attempt to stop the bleeding in her shoulder somehow. As she neared the dock, she noticed a wooden cabin behind the tree line that had been blocked from her view previously. She decided to head towards the cabin instead, it looked clean and well kept on the outside at least. She moved quietly with caution, trying to see if she could make out anyone inside. There were no cars around and only the outside porch light was on. She figured she would try to sneak in and out quickly, in case the owner returned. Maybe they would have some bandages or something she could use to help stop the bleeding in her shoulder. She walked up the front door and tried to open it.  
“Locked, fuck” she muttered to herself. She tried the back, locked as well. She went back to the front and noticed the drops of blood she'd left trailing behind her. She took a seat on the stairs of the porch and pulled back the jumpsuit so get a look at the wound. It looked as though the bullet had mostly grazed her, it was deep enough that she should probably get it stitched, but she wasn't about to go looking for a hospital with a gunshot wound while wearing a jumpsuit.  
_If someone sees me, they’re going to think I escaped from prison or something_ the thought almost made her laugh. _Isn’t that exactly what I've done though_.  
She ripped a strip of the sleeve off at the cuff and pressed it to the wound in hopes to slow the bleeding then covered herself back up with the jumpsuit. She hadn’t noticed a car pull up until the headlights were on her. The crunching of the tires on the gravel must have been drowned out by her thoughts.  
She decided it wasn’t worth running, not that she would have had the strength to do so anyways. She pulled herself up using the railing and stepped down onto the grass. The car stopped a little way back from where she stood, the engine turned off and the driver's side door opened. It was just dark enough she couldn't make out the driver but no passengers got out.  
“Hi, I’m sorry to intrude but I’m lost” she started slowly, cautiously stepping to the side of the stairs so she wasn't cornered. As the figure moved closer she noticed it was a man, tall, slim and carrying a paper grocery bag as he walked towards her.  
He stepped into the light from the porch and she nearly collapsed. She could hardly believe her eyes. It was Joe. He was alive in this world. Suddenly she knew why she had landed here. Her lips curled into a small smile.  
Another wave of nausea, this time she heaved, but nothing came up. She collapsed with a thud as her knees hit the ground once again.  
“Hey, are you okay?” He asked, rushing to her side. Only then did he notice the jumpsuit, and the still wet blood that stained the left shoulder of it.  
Tears escaped her and rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry” she apologized lifting her hands to wipe the tears away as she sat back on her knees.  
“Hey, don’t worry. Please, let me help” he said taking her hand to help her up.  
She was beautiful despite all the fresh looking cuts and bruises that covered her skin. He reached up and pushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. His touch startled her, and she jumped back. The last time Joe had touched her, he held a gun to her head. _This is not the same Joe, this is not the same Joe_ she repeated to herself over and over.  
“Come, I’ll help you get cleaned up and make you something to eat” he said unsure of where she had come from or how she had gotten there. His place wasn’t particularly close to anything, and he had planned it like that.  
Inside he sat her down at the table and placed a tall glass of water in front of her. “What happened to your shoulder?” He asked curiously "It looks pretty fresh."  
“Um, gunshot” she said shyly, avoiding eye contact.  
“We need to get you to the hospital” he said with a hint of panic in his voice. “Who shot you? Where did you come from?”  
“Please no” she said, this time looking into his eyes. “I’m not from around here. I’m in no danger here.”  
He was confused by her words, but his concern for her wound was greater. “Can I at least look at it first before you protest?” He said, standing to get some supplies. “I’m not a doctor but I might be able to help.”  
She pulled the jumpsuit out of the way when he returned carrying a small medical kit.  
“So where are you from?” He asked her, trying to distract her as he inspected her shoulder.  
She hissed out a breath as he poured some cool liquid over it. “Uh... San Francisco” she said carefully, watching his expression. She was curious if this Joe knew anything about her. He seemed unfazed by her response, which eased her worries.  
“You’re a long way from home” he said with a slight laugh.  
“Yeah” she said but, in her head she was thinking _you have no idea!_ She still had no idea where she actually was.  
“Well I still think you should see s doctor tonight, but if you're going to protest, I think you'll survive the night without. From what I can tell, I think the bullet grazed you mostly and I don't think it damaged anything major; the bleeding has pretty much stopped” he said as he began bandaging the wound. “You should still see a doctor though, tomorrow I can take you into town.”  
“Um thanks,” she said, looking into his deep blue eyes. They were soft and caring, with a familiarity she welcomed, like the Joe she knew from Canon City.  
“I was going to make some pasta for dinner, would that be okay?” He asked her as he packed up the medical kit.  
“You really don’t need to cook me anything” she said. She felt like she was intruding on his evening, despite wanting to be there with him. She had to remind herself that this was not the Joe she knew, and he didn't know her. They were starting over, she had been given a second chance.  
“It’s my pleasure, really, and you can stay the night. It’s getting late and there aren’t any motels nearby, just a couple across the lake... um... in town.” he said, then quickly added “I have a spare room, it even has a lock on the door.”  
She looked at him again. She couldn’t imagine why someone would be so kind to someone in her state. She nodded in acceptance, she could tell he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Why don’t I find you something to wear, then you can get cleaned up while I cook?”  
“If that wouldn’t be too much trouble,” she replied, she felt the sincerity to his words.  
I almost forgot. I’m Joe” he laughed holding out his hand.  
“Juliana” she replied, taking his.  
He showed her to the bathroom after bringing out a pair of lounge pants and a simple t shirt.  
“It’s probably going to be too big for you, but I think it will be more comfortable... than, um, that.” He said looking at the stained and ripped jumpsuit she wore.  
He had so many questions for her, but he could tell she wasn’t ready to answer them. Something about her seemed familiar, although he knew he’d never met her before. He would have remembered her beautiful face.  
“Thank you,” she said, and he closed the door for her as he left. He heard the click of the lock as he walked back towards the kitchen to start dinner.  
She turned on the shower and let the water heat up as she shed the miserable jumpsuit, then tossed it in the corner on the floor. The rest of her body matched her face; bruised and battered from the explosion in the mine. The bandage he had applied to her shoulder was waterproof, but she avoided getting it wet once she stepped in. The hot water felt like a dream, she couldn't recall the last time she had enjoyed a shower this much. It soothed the ache of her muscles as she carefully washed the dirt from her hair. Once finished, she dressed in the clothes he had left for her. He was right, they were too big, but she made it work, and anything was better than that jumpsuit. She walked back to the kitchen, where she noticed him standing at the stove. It was a good sized room with a small table at the back.   
“Perfect timing” he said when he sensed her approach.  
They ate dinner quietly, neither of them was sure what to say. He cleared the dishes then filled the sink with warm soapy water to wash them.  
Juliana stood and walked over to the sink to take over for him. “It’s really the least I can do,” she looked down at the dishes in the sink.  
“Well, I’ll wash, and you can dry” he gestured to the cuts and scrapes on her hands.  
“Right, thanks” she said with a small smile.  
“So, you’ve said where you’re from” he began. “But you never said how you got here.”  
She let out a small nervous laugh, “I’m not sure, and honestly I don’t even know where here is” she said, almost embarrassed to admit. She had no idea how she was going to explain this, avoiding it seemed like the best option. Perhaps she would tell him one day, but she was nowhere ready to tell him yet.  
“So where are you heading? You had to be going somewhere when you found this place” he asked curiously.  
“I know this might sound crazy, but last I remember I was in New York. Then I woke up on the grass of the other side of those trees.” She answered trying to sound convincing.  
“That does sound a little crazy” he admitted, “but I believe you. Oh, and this is Lake Naomi, Poconos, Pennsylvania,” he gestured towards the lake. “Town is pretty small and over on the far side of the lake," he pointed out the window to his left "not much there, but it’s enough for way out here.”  
Once they finished the dishes she leaned back against the counter and lifted a hand to her mouth.  
“You alright?” He asked her after a moment.  
“I’m not sure what’s going on, but I keep getting bouts of nausea” she said once the feeling passed. “Must be the exhaustion or something” she shrugged it off. “I think I'm going to call it a night,” she said. “Thank you, very much. I really do appreciate you helping me out” she said. "And dinner was excellent."  
She headed into the bedroom, it was small with a double bed made neatly against the wall under the window. There was a chair in the opposite corner and small dresser along the far wall. She imagined the room was used occasionally, perhaps a family member. She pulled back the covers and crawled into bed wearing just the t-shirt he lent her. The thoughts of her day played over in her head keeping her from sleep, so she laid there silently trying to calm her mind, before long she drifted off into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

She awoke to the daylight, but the clouds were thick and the rain fell steadily against the window. She crawled out of bed, pulled the covers back up and straightened them out, then replaced the pants she had worn the previous evening before walking out to the kitchen. The smell of freshly brewed coffee grew stronger as she entered the kitchen.  
“Good morning” she said to Joe, he was sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper while he sipped his coffee.  
“How are you feeling?” He asked her, looking up from the paper, he folded it neatly in half and set it down on the table in front of him. She chose the seat across from him.  
“I’m okay. Quite sore still, but I slept great. I want to thank you again, I'm truly grateful, really!” she said to him. “I should probably figure out what's next for me.”  
“I can give you a ride into town today if you’d like. I have a few things I need to do, so I can drop you off to get your shoulder checked out.”  
“Yes, that would be great” she responded. She stood and walked over to the coffee pot. “May I?” she motioned to the coffee.  
He nodded at her. She poured herself a cup, and offered to refill his, then sat back down with him so they could drink their coffee together.

Juliana had made them some breakfast, then afterwards Joe searched through the closets until he found something a little more suitable for her wear out of the house.  
“Sorry, I don’t really have anything in the way of women’s clothes...” he said with a laugh, then handed her a small bag. “My mother left these behind the last time she was here, and I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”  
“Thank you,” she said gratefully. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”  
The clothes were a little big and felt slightly outdated, but she managed to put something together that would do until she could pick some stuff up of her own.  
He drove her into town and stopped in front of the local hospital. It was small and looked more like a medical clinic than a hospital, but the sign out front read _Lake Naomi Regional Hospital_.  
“It’s not much, but they should be able to look after your shoulder no problem,” he said. “I’ll be back in an about hour and we can go grab some lunch, I just have a few stops I need to make.”  
“That’s not necessary” she began. “Really, you’ve been so kind already.”  
“You have no money and nowhere to stay,” he said as gently as he could. “I can’t leave out there with nothing.”  
“That’s really more than I could ask for” she thanked him again and headed into the hospital.

The Emergency Room was small, but there were only a couple people waiting so she was able to get through really quick. They did a full work up and took some blood to run tests. Luckily there was no major damage to her shoulder, so they re-bandaged it; the rest of her injuries were superficial and needed no special attention. They instructed her to return in two weeks for a follow-up and to review the blood test results. it had been less than an hour when they sent her on her way. She left the hospital and found Joe sitting on a bench in a covered area out front.  
“Everything okay?” He asked her when she approached him.  
“Yeah, I’m pretty lucky I guess” she said. “I just have to come back in a couple weeks for a follow-up.” She had no idea what the next few weeks had in store for her, with no money and nowhere to live she wasn't sure what to expect. Surely Joe wouldn’t want to take her in for that long, and she didn’t expect him to.  
He stood up from the bench, “I want to show you something, then we can go get some lunch.”  
She followed beside him as they walked a few blocks then turned into a small ally near the hospital. The entire town was quiet with very little going on. He stopped in front of a tall wooden door with small windows on the top. It was located between two side entrances for businesses on the surrounding streets. He pushed the door open and motioned for her to go ahead up the narrow staircase.  
“A friend of mine was looking for someone to rent this place” At the top of the stairs there was a second door, which Joe opened with a key. “It’s small and it's probably seen better days, but i think it will do.”  
He wasn’t wrong, it was small, and a little run down, it appeared that it had been lived in for a while with no updates or renovations. It was furnished with some old outdated pieces, the mattress being the newest looking item. There were no linens on the bed but there were a few mismatched dishes in the open-faced cupboards. Considering she had nothing to start with, it would have been great if she'd had any money.  
“Wow, it’s really great. It would have been perfect, but you didn’t have to go through the trouble” she said looking at him as she walked around the small space, wishing she would have been able to take it. “I don’t have any money; I’ll probably need to find a job before I find a place.”  
“I know, but I covered the couple weeks. You can pay me back if you want, but you don’t have to,” he said, moving to her and taking one of her hands. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I just can’t leave you out on your own with nothing.”  
“I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you enough” she said giving his hand a small squeeze before letting go. She felt a connection with him, but she couldn't tell if it was real, or if it was just what she was hoping for.  
“There’s a diner just around the corner, they have good food, I often get lunch there on slow days at work,” he said walking back towards to door after handing her the keys.  
They headed out for lunch, like he said, the diner was just around the corner, not a block away. When they approached it, she noticed a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window of the diner.  
It was a decent sized restaurant with a dozen or so tables, and a few stools lined up along the bar.  
After the man at the counter took their order, Juliana asked him about the sign in the window "it says Help Wanted and if you’re still looking, I could really use a job. I’ve worked as waitress before” she said, unsure if her job in Cannon City really counted, but she was going to use it.  
“Uh, yeah. Why don’t you come talk to me after you’re done eating” the man said to her, then turned to place their orders.  
Joe paid for their meals after they finished eating.  
“I’ll just wait outside for you” he said as she stood to go talk to the waiter about the job.  
“So, I need someone four days a week to start, possibly five depending on our other waitress. It's a few hours each day to start, but again, maybe more. How’s that sound?” He asked, she nodded her head in approval. “Can you start tomorrow morning?” He asked her.  
“Yes of course” she replied.  
“See you at seven tomorrow morning then” he said then left to refill a customer's coffee.  
“Thank you” she said then turned to leave.  
“Well I got the job,” she told Joe when she walked up to him outside the diner. “I’ll be able to pay you back soon.”  
“Don’t worry about it” he said with a small smile, as they walked towards his car.  
“I’ve got some spare bedding and stuff at my place, we could go pick it up, then I could take you back to get settled,” he said. The rain had eased up, so they walked casually to enjoy the fresh air.  
“That would be great,” she said. “Please, let me cook you dinner tonight? It’s really the least I can do, to thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”  
“Yeah, that would be nice,” he accepted. He wanted to spend more time with her, he was very much so enjoying her company.

After they picked up the bedding from his place, he stopped at a supermarket so they could pick up some food to get her through the next few days.  
She made him meatloaf and potatoes, it was simple enough and it was something she had made often enough to memorize the recipe. It had been a few years since she'd made it, but she enjoyed it just the same.  
“Mm this is really good!” he said, after a couple bites.  
“Thanks, I used to make it for my parents and my sister when I lived at home,” she said between bites.  
“So, you have a sister?” He asked.  
“Yeah, I haven’t seen her in a while. She’s a free spirit. Likes to travel.” She said, unsure if Trudy was alive in this world. She wondered if she would ever see her again. “How about you? Any siblings?” She asked, trying to get the conversation off her. It’s not that she didn’t want to share, she just didn’t know what to say and she was afraid of sharing too much.  
“Nope, it’s just me and my mom, has been for as long as I can remember. My father died when I was very young.” He looked down at his plate. Part of him had wished he knew his father. But he was always grateful that he still his had his mother. “I grew up here, but she lives in New York now, so I don’t see her as much as I’d like to.”  
They finished up their dinner and washed dishes together once again.  
“Thank you for dinner. I should get going. I have to work in the morning” he said, as he headed towards the door. “And I guess you do too,” he added with a small smile. “You know where to find me if you need anything”  
“Thank you, have a good night Joe.”  
“You too,” he said as he closed the door behind him.  
She moved to lock it but was overcome with another wave of nausea, this time she wasn’t so lucky, but made it to the bathroom just in time. Since she wasn’t feeling well, she decided to head to bed early, hoping to get a good night's rest before work tomorrow.

Her first couple shifts went well. Luckily since the town was small, the diner was quiet most days, no more than a few tables at a time. She had yet to work a weekend but was informed that Saturdays and Sundays were far busier.  
By the end of the week she had worked four days straight and received her first small amount of pay. It was Friday afternoon and she decided to go shopping for some clothes that suited her better. She was thankful for the bag of clothes Joe had given her, but she needed more selection, especially since she was working.  
“You must be new around here?” A young girl about her age asked at one of the clothing boutiques.  
“Yeah, I just got here last weekend” Juliana answered while she paid for the couple of items she had picked out.  
“That’s so great! Where are you from?” The girl asked kindly, making conversation.  
“San Francisco”  
“Oh wow! That’s a long way to move!” The girl said putting the clothes into a bag for her.  
“Yeah,” she replied, leaving it at that.  
“I’m Nancy,” the girl held out her hand.  
“Juliana” she replied, shaking Nancy’s hand.  
“Have a nice day, we’ll see you around!” Nancy said handing the bag to Juliana.  
“Thank you, see you around” she said back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Juliana and Joe are getting closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the beginning of their sexual relationship.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon and Juliana had just finished a morning shift at work. When she walked into her apartment, she heard the phone ring and went over to answer it.  
“Hello?” She said as she shrugged off the lightweight jacket she was wearing.  
“Hey, it’s Joe. I just wanted to see how things are going?” He asked her.  
“Good, I just got off a morning shift at work,” she answered.  
“Oh, I hope I’m not bothering you.”  
“No, of course not, it’s good to hear from you.” She was happy he had called, honestly she had been hoping she would hear from him soon.  
“I was just wondering if you’d want to get together again, maybe dinner tonight. If you’re not busy?”  
“Yes, that sounds great” she replied, she was excited to see him again. It had been a busy week and she was ready for a night out of her apartment.  
“Can I pick you up at 6, and I’ll cook dinner for you at my place?” He asked.  
“Perfect” she replied. "See you in a few hours."  
“So, why don’t you tell me something about yourself?” She asked as she leaned against the counter, watching him cook dinner.  
“Hmm okay,” he pondered what to tell her.  
“Where do you work?” She asked after a few moments of silence.  
“I work construction, machine operator mostly. But there’s not a lot of construction around here right now. I’ve managed to keep busy doing labour work lately. But it's not my favourite job,” he said. Then asked her “what about you, any jobs when you lived in San Francisco?”  
“Not really, but I was taking Aikido classes for a while” she said then noticed the puzzled look on his face. “It’s a form of Japanese martial arts. I really enjoyed it; I would love to teach it someday.”  
“Wow, that’s incredible!” He responded with a smile.  
“Thanks, yeah, it really helped me regain my strength after my...” she trailed off. _Fuck, why did I mention that_ she thought  
“After...?” He asked curiously.  
“Um, after my accident,” she said, unsure if she was ready for this conversation.  
“Oh, what happened?” he asked innocently.  
She told him the story and she was thankful he didn’t react poorly or make her feel uncomfortable. When she finished, he didn’t ask her anymore questions about it. He was surprised, yet thankful, that she had shared such a personal story about her life. She had been pretty quiet about sharing anything from her past, and he hoped this was a turning point. Sure, he hadn't known her long, but he felt drawn to her, connected somehow.  
“A lot has changed since then. If I could go back, change what happened, I wouldn’t have done it” she finished.  
“Well you’re here now, and that’s what matters,” he reached out to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.  
She moved in to hug him. “Thanks”  
He was surprised by her touch. She had been keeping her distance mostly, but in that moment of vulnerability, she needed comfort, he could tell that. He held her for a moment then moved back. “Dinner is ready, let’s eat,” he said.  
They ate dinner and talked about their week. Juliana told him about her new job and some of the people she had met. He recognized all the names she told him, with it being a small town and all.

After dinner, they decided to take a walk along the lake.  
“Good thing it's still pretty warm in the evenings” he said as they walked. “Although before we know it, the nights will start to get cold.”  
“You know I’ve never spent a winter outside of San Francisco” she admitted. “If I stick around this will be my first.”  
They didn’t walk far before turning around and heading back, the sun was setting; it would be dark soon. Once they reached his yard, instead of going inside they stood at the edge of the lake, watching as the last of the sunlight reflected off the water.  
“This is such an incredible place,” she said.  
He reached to take her hand in his. He gently pulled her closer so he could wrap his arm around her while he stood beside her. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around him.  
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I feel like you’re meant to be here. Like you’ve been missing from my life, and for all these years I never knew it” he admitted with a hint of nervousness in his voice. He began thinking he screwed it up when she didn’t respond right away. Perhaps it was too forward or too soon. Maybe she hadn’t felt the same way.  
She wanted to say the right thing, she wanted him to know she had dreamt of a life with him. But there was no way to explain that. As far as he was concerned, they had only met last week.  
Unsure of what to say, she turned to face him. He looked down at her and she lifted her lips to meet his.  
She took him by surprise, but he welcomed her. He moved one hand up to the back of her neck and gently pulled her into him with the arm he already had around her waist.  
His lips were warm and soft under hers, familiar yet not. She ran her hands up his chest and gripped the fabric of his shirt. Suddenly she broke the kiss and pulled back slightly. She had to remind herself once again that he hadn't been here with her before. It was all new for him, regardless of how familiar it felt for her.  
“I’m sorry” she whispered.  
“No, don’t be” he moved back to kiss her again.  
She could feel he wanted her as much as she wanted him. His hands moved to her back and he pulled her closer again. She wanted to taste him, feel his warmth. Their lips parted and tongues met. Deepening the kiss, she lifted herself closer and pressed herself against him.  
“Mm, Juliana” he broke their kiss but held her close. “I don’t want...” he was lost for words. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Um, I don’t want to mess this up” he admitted shyly. He took a step back, then pushed his hands through his hair.  
“I want this, I want you” she said trying to catch her breath.  
Standing only a couple steps apart, he reached up and swept a stray hair from her cheek. Their eyes met.  
"Why don't we go inside" she said breaking the silence.  
They walked back to the cabin in silence, but he kept his arm around her. She could feel the heat rising in her. She was desperate for the feel of his skin against hers. She'd be lying if she said it hadn't crossed her mind a few times since she had found him the previous week. She needed to remember that this was a fresh start with him, despite all her memories and feelings, she couldn't go running into his arms so quick.  
“Why not some dessert?” He offered once they were inside.  
“That would be great,” she accepted. Take it slow, her thoughts reminded her.  
She sat next to him on the couch, but she sat with her legs crossed under her, so she was facing him. He finished his cake and leaned back to watch as she finished hers. Shortly after, she placed her empty plate on the coffee table.  
“You’ve got a little...” he reached out to brush a small crumb off her lower lip.  
Her hand came up and held his wrist. She pulled him closer to her as she leaned forward. His hand moved to her cheek and stayed there as he kissed her. Releasing the hold on his wrist, she reached for the collar of his shirt and pulled him in closer. His hands moved lightly over her skin, gently traced along her jaw line. She leaned into him as she shifted to her knees and pushed him back against the couch. He pulled her so she was on top of him, one leg on each on side of his. He moved his mouth down to kiss her neck, then down further, following along the lines of her shirt, the V of the neckline falling at the top of her breasts. He stopped then moved back up to kiss her lips again.  
“I want you” he said simply. He could tell the feeling was mutual, but he wanted to hear it from her.  
“Yes, I want you too” she said quietly, almost a whisper. She reached for the buttons on his shirt.  
“Not here” he said between kisses, stopping her after she undid the first button. “The bedroom... bed...” he managed. They stood and he led her down the hall to his bedroom. They passed the spare room she had slept in the last time she was at him house, then another smaller room with a desk in it. His bedroom was large and painted a neutral beige, there was a plush chair in the corner and a dresser near the large bed. There was a door off to the far side that led into a small attached bathroom.  
They stood at the edge of his bed and she undid the buttons on his shirt. As she un-tucked it from his pant, she noticed he was hard already.  
He kissed down her neck again, this time he didn’t stop at her shirt. He undid the buttons on her blouse and followed along with kisses. Stopping at her breasts, he undid the remaining buttons and pushed her shirt away. She wore a simple white lace bra. He reached his hands under the fabric, taking her breasts in his hands. Her nipples hardened under his touch as he rolled them between his thumb and finger.  
He eased her back, so she was laying on the bed. She moved her hands along his chest and up into his hair. He reached to unclasp her bra and tossed it to the floor. His mouth moved to her breast and she let out a small moan as his tongue flicked over her nipple.  
Her hands moved hastily to find the zipper of his pants. She wanted- needed- him inside her.  
She pushed his pants down, freeing his cock from the restricting fabric. She grabbed onto him and slowly started pumping her hand up and down his shaft. His body moved against her as she quickened her movements.  
He let out a moan, then his hands found their way up the bottom of her skirt. Pushing it out of the way, he exposed her matching white lace panties. He moved his mouth to take hers again. He rubbed her clit through the material, causing her to lift her hips into his touch. He slipped a finger under the fabric and pushed into her feeling her silky warmth surrounded him. She shifted again, trying to get more of him into her. He pushed another finger in. She started to rock her hips. She felt the wetness of his pre-come drip onto her.  
“I want your cock in me” she moaned. He hastily removed the remainder of her clothes. She propped herself up on her elbows so she could watch him enter her. He slowly pushed into her, feeling her tightness around him. She wrapped her legs around his hips, in effort to pull him deeper. He thrust into her, slowly at first, but picking up speed when she begged him to go faster. Their eyes locked while their bodies moved together.  
“You feel so fucking good, Juliana” he said under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.  
She felt her orgasm close, so she reached a hand to his cheek and pulled him in to kiss her.  
When he broke the kiss, she held him close, and whispered to his ear “I’m going to come.”  
With his own orgasm close, he felt her tighten around him with her release as she called out his name.  
He couldn’t hold himself back anymore and came in her, filling her with his seed. He collapsed down on the bed beside her. She felt the warm trickle of his come when he pulled himself out of her.  
He moved so her head lay on his chest and his hand came up to sweep a few stray hairs off her face.  
“Well that was... um...” he said with a smile.  
“Pretty great” she finished for him. She turned to kiss his chest.  
“I guess I should drive you home soon, it’s getting kind of late” he said.  
“Oh, um, I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere”  
“Okay” he said quietly, then kissed her head.

Juliana woke up just as the sun was rising and shone right through the bedroom window. She rolled over and saw Joe was still peacefully asleep. She hadn’t planned for things to move so fast with them, but she couldn’t deny that it felt right. She was happy. She also hadn’t planned on staying the night, but it sort of just happened.  
She felt a sudden wave of nausea and sat up quickly in bed, not realizing she had pulled the blankets off Joe. She swallowed hard.  
“Uh” she moved a hand to her mouth.  
He rolled over and saw her sitting up with one hand on her stomach and the other on her mouth.  
“You okay?” He asked a little sleepily.  
After a minute she replied, “yeah. I don’t know what’s going on, but I keep feeling sick. The doctor said it was just a virus or something and that it should have gone away by now, but it keeps happening. It’s usually worst when I wake up in the morn-“ she stopped at the realization, “morning,” she barely managed to finish. _Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!_ the words flooded her mind. She couldn’t even think straight. Surely, she couldn’t be. They had told her she couldn’t get pregnant. That there was too much damage from the accident.  
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, a little concerned.  
All the colour had drained from her face. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think, she felt like she was about to pass out. She took a couple deep breaths. Thankfully he hadn’t clued into her realization. Maybe it was because he was a guy, or maybe he was still too sleepy. All she knew was she was thankful he hadn’t noticed. She gathered her thoughts long enough to responded to him.  
“Uh yeah, sorry, I just... um, I’m fine” she managed to say, although she didn’t sound very convincing.  
She looked at him, his expression concerned by her tone. She laid back down and curled into him.  
“Really, everything is good, we’re good” she turned to kiss him. Then continued, “and last night was great...”  
“It was” he said with a smile, then kissed her forehead.  
She stayed curled up to him and tried to fall back asleep, but her thoughts were running wild. She was terrified at the thought of being pregnant. She didn’t want kids, not in this world. Well not in her world. And surely, she couldn’t stay here in this one. Not to mention the baby wouldn’t really have a father, she had killed him. Well the Joe who had gotten her pregnant. What would it mean for the Joe she was with now? How would she tell him? Her thoughts raced as panic set in. She looked back at him; he was asleep again.  
She quietly crawled out of bed and grabbed his shirt off the floor before heading into the kitchen to make some coffee. It was only 5:30 but she was too wound up to sleep. She probably didn’t need the coffee, but she needed something to keep her busy. She found the previous day's news paper on the table and tried reading while she sipped her coffee.  
Lost in her thoughts she jumped at the sound of Joe walking into the kitchen.  
“You alright?” He asked, moving to pour himself some coffee.  
“Yeah, I just didn’t hear you get up,” she admitted. She looked down at the newspaper. She had only made it to the third page. She looked back at the clock. Nearly an hour had passed.  
“How long have you been up?” He asked after taking a sip of his coffee. “Coffees not hot anymore.”  
“I couldn’t fall back asleep this morning when we woke up,” she said, avoiding his eyes. “I guess I should go get dressed.” She stood from the table, he moved to stop her.  
“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked, he could tell something was bothering her. He was worried she regretted their night. She had seemed to enjoy it, but ever since she had woken up that morning, she had been acting completely different.  
“I’m sorry,” she said looking up at him. “I don’t really know... um... I’m just not feeling very well.”  
“Okay, well I can drive you home now if you’d like” concern crossed his face.  
“I promise last night was great, and I’m happy it happened,” she said, the thoughts of his touch brought a smile to her face. She moved to kiss him. “I want it to happen again.”  
“Yeah?” He asked in a teasing voice. He could tell something was still on her mind, but he didn’t want to push. “What if I make you some breakfast?” he said with a smile.  
“That would be really, really nice” she said, hoping to get the other matter off her mind.  
He dropped her off at home in the early afternoon. She had definitely felt better after breakfast and a bit of distraction. Perhaps she did just have a virus. Maybe the nausea was just a coincidence. After all, she had been told by a doctor that she likely couldn’t get pregnant because of the pelvic injuries. She knew “likely” didn’t mean there was no chance, but she also hadn’t taken extra precautions to prevent it with Frank, and she hadn’t gotten pregnant any of those times. Her appointment the following week would hopefully give her the answers she was looking for.


	4. Chapter 4

The week passed slowly. She had been avoiding Joe, unsure how she would act around him. Luckily, she was able to busy herself with work and had picked up a couple extra shifts. On the Wednesday, he walked into the diner shortly before the end of her shift.  
“I thought maybe I scared you off” he said with a smile.  
“I was able to get a couple extra shifts this week,” she replied, trying to act normal. She was happy to see him. “Coffee?” She asked him.  
“Please,” he sat at the counter. “So...” she poured the coffee for him. “Saturday, would you like to go for a hike? There’s a nice trail up the mountains to a lookout. It’s not a long hike but the weather is supposed to be nice.”  
“Um, yeah. That would be great!” She answered. She hadn’t gotten the chance to do much around town yet and was excited at the opportunity to get out and see something new.  
“Okay,” he said with a smile on his face. “I’ll pick you up at 10?”  
“Yes, sounds good!” She said. She could see the excitement on his face. Suddenly she felt guilty for avoiding him, even though it had only been a few days. Jokingly she asked him “It’s not too difficult, right?”  
“Ha, no. It’s maybe an hour to the top. We’ll drive most of the way up though” he said then looked at his watch. “I have to get back to work, I’ll see you Saturday” he said.  
“See you Saturday” she replied before he got up and left the diner.  
As he walked out of the diner, Nancy from the clothing boutique came in.  
“Oh hey!” she said taking a seat in the spot Joe had just left. “Juliana, right?”  
“Yeah” Juliana replied with a smile. “It’s nice to see you again Nancy.”  
“You too. I didn’t realize you were working here” Nancy said. “That’s so great! How are you settling in?”  
“Good, thank you for asking.”  
Nancy ordered some lunch to take away.  
“Would you like to get coffee or something sometime?” Nancy asked Juliana.  
“Yes, that would be really nice,” she replied.  
“Great, just call me over at the boutique when you have some free time” Nancy said with a smile, then turned to leave.  
Juliana finished up her shift and headed home, she was tired and happy that it was a very short walk. The phone rang shortly after she changed from her work clothes.  
“Hi Miss Crain. I just wanted to confirm your follow up appointment for tomorrow at 11 am?” The voice said over the phone.  
“Yes, thank you,” she replied and hung up the phone. Her heart was beating faster, suddenly all her worries and concerns came flooding back. One more night. One more sleepless night.

“Hello Miss Crain,” the doctor began. “How’s your shoulder healing?”  
“It feels pretty good” she told him. Truthfully it was the least of her concern at the moment.  
“Okay we’ll just have a quick look at it and make sure it’s healing okay, then we’ll go over your test results.” He completed his exam of her shoulder and was pleased with how it was healing. She was seated at the desk again and he opened a manila folder filled with various papers. “So, it seems everything on your tests came back normal. No signs of any infections or anything, which is good.” He flipped through the papers. “Oh...” he stopped and looked up at her. “It says here you’re pregnant.”  
 _Fuck!!_ Her mind screamed. “You’re sure?” She asked, voice a little shaky.  
“Yeah, the hormone levels are pretty high. Do you know when your last menstrual period was?” He asked.  
She took a deep breath. Her mind raced, her breaths became shallow, tears stung her eyes. Panic set in, _Pregnant? I can’t be_ her thoughts screamed in fear. She noticed the doctor looking at her, waiting. She pulled herself together enough to make it through the appointment, then thought back, “uh, maybe about 6 or 7 weeks ago.” The words barely came out.  
He wrote it down on the papers in front of him. “So, we’ll get you set up with an obstetrician. He’ll be able to help you out with any questions you might have,” he said, and looked at her again. He could see the distress on her face. “Try not to worry, everything will be okay. We will try and help you however we can,” he said trying to offer her a little comfort.  
“Thank you,” she managed. Tears stung her eyes again. Unsure how long she could hold it back, she stood and walked across the room to look out the window; tears fell down her cheeks. The doctor said his goodbye at some point and she managed some sort of acknowledgment, but she wasn’t sure how long she has stood at the window. She gathered herself and left the office.  
She made her appointment with the obstetrician for a few weeks time, they wanted her to be at least 12 weeks along.  
She left the office and decided to take a longer route home. She needed air, time to think that wasn’t sitting around her quiet lonely apartment. She needed to decide what to do. What choice did she have? How was she going to raise a baby? Alone. Tears fell again, this time she didn’t try to hold them back.  
She went home and curled up into bed. It was only the afternoon, but she had no energy. She let herself cry until she fell asleep.

Saturday morning rolled around, and she felt drained. She was looking forward to the hike though, hoping it would help get her mind off things. She had spent far too long crying in bed the previous day. Luckily the weather was great. It was sunny and still a bit warm. As she dressed, she realized she had nothing appropriate for a hike. Frustrated she hadn’t thought of it sooner, she settled on a mid-length flowy skirt and some flats. After all, she had hiked in similar before. She was almost certain Joe would get a laugh out of it. She packed some sandwiches and fruit so they could have a picnic at the lookout.  
A few minutes before 10 she heard a knock on her door.  
“Hey,” he said when she opened the door. He looked at her outfit choice questionably.  
“Hey,” she replied with a smile. “I don’t have any hiking clothes, and I totally forgot until I went to get dressed this morning,” she laughed. “Is this going to be okay or should we just reschedule?” she was slightly embarrassed at the fact that she had let it come to this. After seeing him, she was really hoping they would still be going on the hike.  
“Should be fine,” he laughed with her. “The trail is pretty easy.” The thought of her hiking in a skirt amused him.  
She picked up the bag of food she had packed. “I packed some food, I figured we could have a picnic.”  
“That’s a great idea,” he said. “I honestly hadn’t even thought of it. Shall we?” He asked taking the bag of food from her.

He drove up a narrow winding road until he reached a small empty parking lot, marking the end of the road.  
“From here we walk” he said, pulling a small picnic blanket from the car. He took it and the bag of food, leaving her to carry nothing.  
“I can take something,” she said to him as they headed towards the path.  
“Nope, I’ve got it. It’s really not far, maybe 20 minutes.” He walked beside her along the path. It was steadily inclining. “How was your week?” He asked trying to make conversation. She hadn’t really put much effort in, still distracted by her upending week.  
“Um it was okay,” she said, trying to convince herself more than anything. “I definitely kept busy with all the extra hours I picked up.”  
“So work is going well I take it?”  
“Yeah, it is. How about you?” She asked him, wanting the attention off herself.  
“It was good. I was mostly just doing labour work again,” he began. “Although I could be back to my usual job next week.” The thought pleased him, she could hear it on his voice.  
“That’s great,” she said, truly happy for him.  
About halfway into the hike she stopped and sat on a large boulder on the edge of the path.  
“I just need a quick break” she said, slightly out of breath. “Sorry, I just started feeling nauseous again.” She had been feeling the nausea pretty regularly. A couple times a day most days.  
“No problem, we can stop as long as you need” he said. She could hear the concern in his voice. “Did you ever hear back from the doctor?”  
She didn’t answer right away, just held her hand to her mouth.  
“I wonder what could be making you sick for so long” he thought aloud.  
“Um yeah...” she said. Then stopped. Tears stung her eyes. She fought them back in hopes he wouldn’t see. She stood and turned slightly away from him.  
He had noticed but he didn’t ask her. She would tell him when she was ready.  
She could see the worry on his face. It pained her a little to not tell him the truth. Honestly, she hadn’t told anyone. He stepped over to hug her.  
“Joe, there’s something I have to tell you” her voice was shaking. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to tell him. Would it scare him away? Maybe he wouldn’t care. Maybe having someone to talk to would help. Maybe he’s just what she needed. The thoughts raced in her head. She pulled back from his embrace. Looked up at his face and said, “um, I’m pregnant.”  
His expression didn’t change. He stayed silent for what felt like forever. She dropped her gaze to where she fiddled with a button on her jacket.  
“Um, okay... I mean... that’s good, isn’t it?” He wasn’t sure what to say. Whatever he was thinking, he didn’t let an ounce of show on his face.  
She realized maybe he thought it was from the weekend before. The night they shared. She quickly added “I’m about 5 weeks along. I only found out on Thursday. I suspected it that morning I woke up at your place, which is why I was acting weird, but I didn’t think it was possible, so I didn’t say anything.”  
She couldn’t bring herself to say he wasn’t the father. After all the father was the Joe from her world. In some way that made this baby his, right?  
“I haven’t decided if it’s a good thing or not,” she admitted. She felt a little guilty after she said that. “I mean... yeah... I guess. But I don’t know how I’m going to do this on my own.”  
“So, you aren’t going back to the father?” He asked. Immediately wishing he could take the words back. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask that” he quickly added before she could respond. He felt like an asshole for asking that.  
“No, it’s okay. I haven’t had anyone to talk to about it. I’m sorry to throw it on you like this” she said turning away from him. “Should we keep going?”  
He nodded.  
They walked a bit further, neither of them sure what to say. The silence seemed unreal.  
“I can’t go back” Juliana said breaking the silence. “He’s gone... he died a couple weeks ago” she told him. Leaving out that she had killed him.  
“Juliana...” he said softly. “I’m so sorry” he took her hand and stopped to look at her. “And don’t think for a minute that you’re alone.”  
“Thank you,” she said simply. She felt a little guilty about the parts she left out, but it would have to do for now. There was no way to explain the full truth at this time. She kept hold of his hand for the remainder of the walk.  
They arrived at the lookout a little after 11. The break in the trees exposed a panoramic view of the valley below. She could make out the Lake Naomi and the small town off in the distance. All the trees were plush green, and the sun shone perfectly on the lake. It was like a beautiful picture she would always remember.  
“Wow this is incredible!” She said walking to the edge of the path to take in the beauty of it.  
“I used to come up here as a kid” he said walking up beside her a few minutes later. “It’s always been one of my favourite places.” He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into him.  
She turned to face him, pulled herself up to kiss him on the cheek, ever so lightly, leaving him wanting more of her touch.  
“Thank you for showing me this place” she said, then he turned his head so his lips met hers. Her hands reached to frame his face, pulling him to her. She had been dying to kiss him. To feel him again. She wanted his hands on her body, his mouth on her skin. Staying away from him for that week had been a lot more difficult than she had anticipated.  
His lips left her mouth, finding their way to her neck as she reached for the buttons of his jacket. He eased her back, so she was pressed up against a nearby tree.  
He could sense her want for his touch. He undid her jacket and pushed it aside. His hands found their way up the bottom of her shirt and settled on the soft warmth of her breasts. His mouth moved to kiss along her jaw and down along her neck. His teeth grazed her collar bone lightly and she let out a small noise.  
“I want to feel you inside me” she whispered to him.  
His eyes grew wider at her confession. He felt himself getting harder. It almost ached with the sound of her voice in his ear.  
“Here?” he asked, surprised at the thought.  
She bit her lower lip and nodded so he lifted her skirt and pushed her panties aside; he could feel she was ready for him. His fingers traced along her folds, teasing at her until she pushed her hips into his hand. She slid a hand down to undo his pants and pull his cock free. He lifted her up and she wrapped one leg around his hip as she slowly slid down onto him. He held her as he thrust into her faster and harder.  
“You’re so tight” he said to her under his breath.  
Her fingers dug into his shoulders. The thrill of doing it outside, the potential of being caught only added to their pleasure. They had been the only ones in the parking lot but that didn’t mean that someone hadn’t come in behind them.  
“You feel so good inside me” she moaned. Her orgasm neared.  
“I’m going to come, Juliana” he said to her.  
The way he said her name peaked her orgasm. He felt her shuddering around him, tightening on his cock until finally he came, his warmth filled her. He held her for a moment then removed himself and lowered her back to her feet.  
“That was definitely a first for me” she said smiling as she straightened her clothes. “I didn’t think hiking in a skirt would be so... beneficial” she laughed.  
“Definitely a first for me as well,” he responded, doing up his pants. “And I agree. I wasn’t sure about the skirt, but it was definitely a good choice” he laughed.  
He walked over to spread the blanket out so they could sit. The sun shone brightly on the lookout, but they could see clouds rolling in as they sat and ate their lunch.  
“This place is really amazing,” she said looking out over the town.  
“If it wasn’t before, it’s one of my favourite places now” he laughed jokingly.  
“I think it’s one of mine now too,” she said, then leaned over to kissed him.  
That sat for a while longer, enjoying the sun and fresh air, the sound of the gentle breeze in the trees and birds chirping. Before long the clouds rolled in covering the sun.  
“Guess we should head back before it rains” he said, “it should be quicker back to the car.”  
The rain started just as they reached the parking lot. They drove back into town with little conversation.  
He parked outside her apartment and walked her to the door.  
“I had a really great time today,” he said.  
“Me too, thank you for taking me out there today,” she looked up at him.  
He leaned down and kissed her, then brushed a hair from her cheek.  
“I really did mean what I said earlier” he began. “You’re not alone, if you need anything, I’m here for you.”  
“Thanks, that means a lot,” she said then hugged him. “Do you want to come in for a bit?” She asked, still in his embrace.  
“Yeah, I’d like that.”


	5. Chapter 5

Over the next few weeks, Juliana and Joe spent most of their overlapping days off together. She worked as many double shifts and extra days as she could get which kept her busy. Before she knew it, it was nearing her next appointment. She had noticed the nausea easing up, her energy was slowly increasing, and she had even noticed the smallest hint of a bump. Although she was pretty sure she was the only one who could tell.  
One morning while they were laying in bed, a few days before her next appointment, she was on her back and Joe had one hand placed low on her belly.  
“I really think it’s starting to show” she told him, “but it seems too early yet.”  
“I can’t tell, but I wish it was noticeable” he admitted. “Your appointment is next week, right?”  
“On Wednesday. I think they’re going to take some measurements and try listening for the heartbeat.”  
“I can’t wait until we can feel kicks” he said watching her belly rise and fall with her breath.  
“I think it will be a while for that yet,” she laughed, then rolled into him and rested her head on his chest. “I’m happy you’re here.”  
“Me too.” He was really quiet and still for a few minutes, then said, “I want to be the baby’s father.”  
She looked up at him. “Joe...” was all she managed before he stopped her.  
“I just mean I want to be there for you and the baby. To help raise it. Be a father to it. Love it as my own. I know it’s really soon and everything seems like it’s happening so fast. But honestly, somehow, I feel drawn to you, to the baby.”  
“That’s means a lot to me. Really. And that would make me so happy” she said with a smile.  
“When you start telling people, you can tell them the baby is mine,” he said, she lifter her head planting a short but sweet kiss on his lips. “I don’t think anyone will question the timing too much, at least I hope they wont.”

Wednesday morning she headed into the doctors office for her appointment. She was a little a nervous and excited at the same time. Knowing she wasn’t in this alone relieved many of her worries. She was still nervous about having a baby, but Joe’s want to be there for her helped tremendously over the past couple weeks.  
She didn’t have to wait long before the doctor was ready for her.  
“We’re just going to measure your belly, mostly for a starting point. It’s October 5, so that puts you at about 13 weeks along. We will try and find the heartbeat today too” the doctor said. “It's not always easy to find it right away with the doppler though. Especially this early, the baby is still very small.”  
He found the heartbeat after only a moment of searching. “There! That sounds good. Nice and stro-“ he stopped.  
“What is it?” She asked, panic in her voice.  
“Just a minute, dear.” He smiled at her then moved the doppler over to the other side of her belly. The noise picked up again. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.  
“Is everything okay doctor?” She asked, he looked puzzled still.  
“Yes, of course dear. I’m just checking something” he said reassuringly.  
He spent another couple minute listening to the heartbeat, counting and switching sides.  
“All done” he said, then helped her to sit up. “Everything seems good at this point. We found two babies. Both heartbeats are healthy and strong.”  
“What!?” Her jaw dropped. “Two? I’m having twins?” She could barely get the words out.  
“Yes, it appears so...” he said. “This does make your pregnancy high risk, which means your appointments will be more frequent, and you’ll have more tests run to make sure you and the babies stay healthy.”  
The shock was still present on her face.  
“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of you and your babies,” he tried to reassure her.  
“Um, thanks” she managed.  
“So, your estimated due date stays as April 10th, but you’ll likely deliver them early, I would say the end of March at the latest,” the doctor told her, she couldn’t speak so she nodded.  
Her mind was still shocked as she left. The walk home was a blur.  
She got home and fell back onto the couch. One baby was enough to come to terms with but two? How was she going to manage two? How would Joe react? Would he still want to stay now that there were two? It wasn’t like he was obligated to stay with her. Technically they weren’t his babies. Her mind wandered with thoughts, questions. She had so many questions.  
She heard a sudden knock on the door, pulling her back to reality.  
She opened the door to find Joe standing there.  
“Hey, what's wrong?” He asked when he saw her. He reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. “How’d everything go at your appointment?”  
She hadn’t realized that she had been crying.  
“Everything’s fine. Um, healthy” she said simply.  
“You can tell me” He said, trying a reassure her. He could tell she was leaving something out. He wanted to help her. In whatever way he could.  
“The baby is fine. Well... both babies... both babies are fine.”  
“What?” He thought he had heard her wrong. “Both!?”  
“Yeah, they found two babies. Two heartbeats.”  
“Wow, that’s uh...” he said.  
She cut him off before he could finish. “Terrifying, crazy, impossible...”  
“I was going to say amazing” he finished. He reached out for her hand. “It will be okay.” He pulled her in, holding her close to him.  
She wiped away the tears the rolled down her face steadily now. “It’s just been a crazy few weeks.” She pulled away from him just enough so she could look up at him.  
He leaned in to kiss her gently on the forehead. “Why don’t we head to my place and I can make you some dinner?” He asked her.  
“Yeah, that sounds good.” She headed to the bathroom to straighten herself out before they left.

They finished up dinner a little later than usual.  
“So, the thought of two babies doesn’t freak you out?” She asked with a small laugh while they sat on the couch after dinner.  
“A little maybe, but not in a bad way. And not enough to scare me away,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere.”  
“Joe, I don’t know how I got so lucky to find you” she said simply, unsure how she got so lucky to find this version of him, a man who was willing and happy to help her and stand beside her in this crazy new life.  
“I can say the same to you, Juliana.” He moved in to kiss her.  
Her hands came up to hold him to her mouth. Every ounce of her body wanted him, despite the exhaustion she felt. She deepened the kiss, pushing herself to him. He laid back on the couch, so she was on top of him. She broke their kiss and moved to rest her head on his chest.  
He wrapped his arms around her holding her tight as he kissed the top of her head.  
“Why don’t you stay the night?” he asked, knowing she was exhausted. “I can drive you home in the morning before I go to work. I work at 8, so I can get you back before your shift starts.”  
“I’d like that” she said simply. She nodded off curled into his chest.

She woke up to Joe asleep under her. Surprised that they were still in the exact position she had fallen asleep in, she shifted towards the back of the couch to try and move some of her weight off him. He stayed asleep until she slid down between him and the back of the couch, which sent him flying from the couch. With a thud he landed on the floor.  
“Fuck” she yelped as she tried to hold onto him, which only dragged her onto the floor with him.  
“Ouch, fuck” he said, unsure of what had just happened. His hands rubbed his face and he realized he was on the floor with her on top of him. “What happened?” he asked with a laugh.  
She was laughing now too. “I tried to move and managed to knock you off the couch, then fell trying to stop you from falling.”  
“Well that’s one hell of a way to wake up” he said, then kissed her. “You okay?” he asked her.  
She laughed again. ”I should be asking you that!”  
“I’m fine, I just want to make sure you and those babies are okay” he said, moving his hands down her side and wrapping them around her back. He kissed her again.  
She rolled off him so that she was sitting beside him. “Yes, we are okay” she said with a smile.  
He sat up next to her and placed a hand low on her belly. “I can't wait until we can feel them moving,” he said in awe.  
She placed one hand over his, and the other on his face and drew him closer. “I love you”  
He looked her in the eyes. They hadn’t said it to each other yet. It caught him off guard. But he felt the same about her. “I love you” he said as he looked into her eyes. He closed the distance between their lips.  
He broke their kiss, then stood. He held out his hand to help her up. “Let’s go to bed.”  
She followed him to the bedroom. She still hadn’t left a nightgown at his place, although she never slept clothed anyways.  
She stood in front of him at the bedside and undid the buttons of his shirt. He shrugged it off his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. His hands found the hem of her blouse and he lifted it up over her head. She lifted her head to kiss his neck. Her hands were on his shoulders when his hands found her breasts. He teased her nipples through the fabric of her bra, then reached to the back to undo the clasp and free her. She dropped her head back and moaned as he rolled her nipples between his thumb and finger, they stiffened with pleasure. While he kissed along her neck and collar bone, he gently squeezed her breasts, knowing they were sore from all the changes her body was going through.  
He dropped one hand and undid the button of her pants. They fell to the floor leaving her standing in only her panties. He stepped back and looked at her as he shed his own pants, only his boxers remained. He stepped in closer to her again and found her mouth with his. Her hands wandered his chest, then found his hips at the band of his boxers. She pressed her hips into him feeling his erection, hard between them. She slipped a hand under the waistband and wrapped her hand around his cock.  
He sucked in a breath as she slid her hand up and down his length. She pushed down his boxers with her other hand. She nudged him back on the bed, then dropped to her knees in front of him. He looked down at her as she moved her mouth to him, licking up the length of him.  
He moaned as her tongue moved over his tip. She wrapped her lips around him, taking more of him into her mouth.  
“That feels so fucking good” he murmured. He could barely get the words out.  
Her tongue swirled and flicked at him as he struggled to hold himself back. He wanted to fuck her, wanted to feel her tight pussy come on his cock.  
“I want to fuck you” he said lowly, pulling her up to meet her mouth with his.  
He pulled her panties away and his fingers found her clit. He rolled her over, so she was underneath him. He rubbed her clit with his thumb as he pushed two fingers into her already wet pussy. A moan escaped her lips as her nails dug into his shoulders while he fucked her with his fingers.  
“Fuck me with your cock” she whispered into ear.  
Her words made him realize that’s exactly what he wanted too. He moved so his cock was pressed to her, then slowly pushed into her as she exhaled. Her hips moved into him, angled so he could thrust deeper. He moved faster as he was so close already, he knew he didn’t have much time after the way she had sucked his cock.  
“Oh Juliana,” he moaned.  
Not wanting to leave her behind, he reached to rub her clit again, this time he pressed into her desperate for her orgasm to be his release.  
“I’m going to come” she said, and he felt her tighten and quiver around him. Her hands tangled in the bed sheets. The feel of her orgasm under his body sent him over the edge.  
He collapsed onto the bed beside her, pulling her with him so he could stay inside her. He brushed her hair from her face, then moved in to kiss her.  
She stayed silently wrapped in his arms with her head against his chest. She could hear the quiet sound of his breath, the beat of his heart. They both drifted off into sleep tangled in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

Juliana’s next appointment went well, everything was healthy with her and both babies’ heartbeats were strong. She left her appointment feeling good about everything and for the first time in what felt like forever, she was happy. She had been spending most of her time with Joe but had decided it was time to get out and make other friends. She decided to call Nancy and take her up on the coffee invite. She had planned their outing for after her appointment, so she headed straight to meet her. She arrived at the small café a little earlier than they had planned but was surprised to find Nancy was already there waiting.  
“Hey!” Nancy called out to her when Juliana entered.  
“Hey, how are you?” she asked approaching the table. She removed her jacket and hung it on the back of the chair before taking a seat.  
“I’m well, how about yourself?” Nancy asked.  
“I’m doing very good. Thanks,” Juliana replied. “I’m going to get a coffee, have you ordered yet?” she asked.  
“Yes, thanks, I just ordered, I was early and thought you’d be a while yet” she laughed.  
“My appointment didn’t take as long as I had anticipated.”  
“Well that’s good” Nancy said with a smile. “I’m happy you called.”  
The waitress brought Nancy’s coffee and took Juliana’s order.  
“Well I appreciate the invite. It’s been a really crazy few weeks” Juliana admitted.  
“Oh?” Nancy asked curiously. Worried she was being nosy she added, “I hope the move has been going okay.”  
“Yes, it has” the waitress dropped off Juliana’s coffee. “I think I’m finally starting to feel settled in.”  
“That’s good.” Nancy replied. They sat in silence for a few minutes, taking small sips of their coffee. “So, you know Joe Blake?” Nancy asked, she had heard from a girl at work about the two of them.  
“Yeah, we met when I got here” she said vaguely. She knew Nancy was just trying to make small talk. And it being a small-town Juliana wasn’t surprised that she knew about her and Joe. “He’s been absolutely incredible!”  
“We went to school together, but we didn’t cross paths much then, and even less now. I see him around town occasionally, though. He was always so kind when we spoke in school. I’m happy you guys are close,” Nancy said.  
Juliana realized at that statement that Nancy had probably heard more about them than she had originally thought.  
They sat and enjoyed their coffee and Juliana asked Nancy about herself and tried to avoid being asked many questions. She was happy to be out making a new friend, but she was still hesitant to share too much about herself. Before they knew it, it had been over an hour of talking.  
“I should probably get going,” Nancy said. “I have to cover the last couple hours at the boutique for the other girl.”  
“Do you mind if I walk over with you, I’m looking for a few more clothes,” Juliana asked.  
“Yeah, no problem, and I’m happy to help you find whatever your looking for” Nancy said with a smile.  
Once they arrived at the boutique, Juliana browsed the racks looking for clothes to better suit her growing bump. She was four months along now and most of her clothes were starting to get too tight. She had managed to keep the bump concealed when she was out of the house but knew that wouldn’t last much longer. She wasn’t particularly trying to hide that she was pregnant, she just hadn’t wanted to draw attention to herself so soon after arriving.  
Nancy approached her after relieving the other girl.  
“So, what are you looking for?” She asked Juliana.  
Juliana put her hand to her belly, causing the sweater she wore to cling to the round bump. “All my clothes are getting a little tight, so I just need some stuff that will accommodate this growing belly.”  
Nancy’s eyes grew wide with surprise, her mouth slightly agape. “I had no idea!” she managed after a moment of shock.  
“Yeah, I haven’t really told anyone, but I think it will be pretty obvious pretty soon” she said with a little laugh, then went back to looking at the clothes on the rack.  
Nancy was still in shock and stayed quiet another moment longer. “How far along are you?” she asked.  
“Four months, with twins” Juliana said, looking up to see the shocked look still on her new friend’s face.  
“Wow, that amazing, congratulations! That’s so great for you... and Joe” the last part of that came out more as a question.  
“Thanks, we’re pretty excited, despite everything happening so fast,” Juliana replied, trying to ignore the questioning tone. She knew people would likely realize the timeline didn’t really add up, but she was going to try her best to convince everyone otherwise.  
Nancy helped her pick out a few things, although they weren’t specifically maternity, they would accommodate her growing bump for a while yet. She paid for the items then headed home.  
It was still a couple hours until Joe would be off work. He had wanted to hear about her appointment, so they planned to have dinner together that evening.

She had dinner cooked and served when he arrived at her place after work.  
“So, the appointment went well?” he asked taking a seat at the table.  
“Yes, we are all healthy, and the doctor has no concerns as of now” she said with a smile.  
“I’m happy to hear” he said between bites. “How was coffee with Nancy?”  
“It was good, I told her about the babies. She helped me find some clothes that should fit better. She was a little shocked when I told her though, which I guess makes sense.” Juliana took another bite then added, “she said she’s happy for us.”  
“Well I’m happy for us too,” he said with a laugh.  
After dinner they decided to go for a walk through town. The nights were growing colder, but it wasn’t raining or snowing, so they were happy to get out.  
“So, have you told your mother yet?” She asked him. She had thought about it after the way Nancy reacted. She realized that the longer they waited to tell people, the more shocked the reactions would be.  
“No, I haven’t talked to her” he admitted. It had crossed his mind a couple times, but each time he was worried about how she would react.  
“I think you… we…. should tell her soon” Juliana added. “I think she would like to hear sooner rather than later.”  
“Yeah, I kind of want to tell her in person, but we’ll see. I don’t see her that often, so I might have to settle for a phone call.” He was still dreading the thought of telling her. He wasn’t even sure if he was going to tell his mother the truth, that she was pregnant when they had met. He figured she would be happy about him becoming a father, but maybe she would be unhappy that he hadn’t known Juliana very long.  
“I’m going to tell my boss on Monday” she decided. “I’m going to keep all my shifts since I still feel fine, but I don’t want to surprise him too much.” She paused for a minute. “I guess the way Nancy reacted today got me thinking. I really shouldn’t be avoiding telling people.”  
“That makes sense” he said simply, still a little distracted by the thought of telling his mother.  
She stopped suddenly and a hand fell to her bump. Joe noticed right away and asked, “is everything okay?”  
“Yeah, I just felt a kick. And it was definitely a baby this time,” she said, referring to the few times she had thought she felt movement. “It was only from the inside though,” she added when he put his hand next to hers. A small look of disappointment washed over his face. “But it won't be long now, they’re getting bigger and stronger everyday” she reached up and kissed him.  
They walked hand in hand silently back to her place. She loved him. These were the moments she had longed for back in her world. The Joe from her world wasn’t the same after his return, and it hurt her to know what he went through, what _they_ had done to him for all those months. When he was around her, she felt like he was torn between his old self and the man _they_ wanted him to be. There were enough times where he was cold and distant, and she knew that he had changed. Other times he seemed to like the Joe she knew from Canon City; like when he confessed the truth behind his father's death. She had sensed the pain and suffering within him and knew it had been hard for him to admit it to her. The events of _that_ night replayed in her memory many times, they had haunted her dreams over and over at first. Yet here she was, in this world with another version of him, no regrets or painful past. And that she was thankful for. The thoughts and memories brought tears to her eyes, pulling her back to the present. She took a deep breath in and reached up to wipe her eyes, thankfully it was dark.  
“What’s wrong?” he asked, sensing her discomfort.  
“Just tired” she said. “It’s been a busy day; I think I’m ready for bed.” She wrapped an arm around him and held him close for the remainder of the walk.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a Saturday morning in early December when the first snow fell. Juliana hadn’t experienced much snow growing up in San Francisco; the odd time when she was outside the city in winter was all.  
“Does the snow stay around a long time here?” She asked Joe. They were enjoying their coffee and breakfast watching as the snowflakes fell steadily outside.  
“Yeah, it will probably stick around for the better part of the winter now” he said unfazed by it. He knew snow, expected snow. He found little excitement in it after all these years. Then he remembered. “Is this the first time you’ve seen snow?” He asked her amused by the thought.  
“No, but I haven’t it seen it much,” she said. He could see the excitement on her face.  
She stood to clear the dishes; over the past couple weeks her bump became more prominent, she was a little way over halfway now. He reached out to wrap his arms around her hips and pulled her into him, kissing her belly in two spots. She put the dishes she held down and placed her hand beside where he rested his head on her.  
“This one is moving” she motioned to the left side of her belly. He quickly moved his hand to hers but didn’t feel it. He placed the other hand on the opposite side and waited a few minutes. She had been feeling the babies moving quite a bit from the inside, but he hadn’t felt anything yet. He suddenly felt a small jab under his hand. He looked up at her with the biggest smile. She smiled back at him.  
“That was incredible!”  
She could hear the excitement in his voice. “This one is super active,” she said referring to the one on her left. “And this one is pretty mellow” she said about the baby on the right. With one hand on each side of her belly he waited in hopes to feel more movement. The baby on the left kept moving and kicking for a minute or so and once it stopped, he felt a small little flutter from the baby on the right. Once the movements stopped, he moved his hands and took the dishes before she could grab them again.  
“Sit, I’ve got this” he said, walking to put them in the sink.  
She smiled, sitting back at the table. Her gaze returned to the snow falling outside.  
“I was thinking you could drop a couple shifts at work,” he said, leaning back against the counter while he looked at her.  
“I wish I could, but I just can’t afford to,” she said. The thought had crossed her mind but she was still working extra shifts so she could afford rent. She wasn’t ready to admit, but the extra shifts were getting more tiresome by the day.  
He stood quietly for a few minutes, then said “if you move in here… that would save you rent.”  
She looked at him, unsure how to answer. They had been together nearly 5 months now and the thought didn’t seem to crazy.  
“You spend so many nights here anyways,” he said trying to convince her it was a good option.  
He wasn’t wrong, she did spend most nights with him. And since his place was much nicer, they rarely stayed at hers.  
“Yes, you’re right. We do spend most our time together here anyways. So yes. I’ll move in” she said with a smile. She was relieved to be able to drop the extra shifts at work. Her boss had been really helpful to accommodate her being pregnant, he hadn’t tried to convince her not to take the extra shifts, but she had insisted that she needed them.  
“We can bring all your stuff here this weekend,” he said. Then after a few minutes of watching the snowfall he said, “Why don’t we head into town and pick up what we can before there’s too much snow.”  
“Sounds good” she said, then got up to get dressed. She realized she had very little in the way of appropriate snow clothes. And even less that still fit her.  
“Will you be warm enough?” he asked her while he helped her to do up the thin jacket around her bump.  
“It’s all I have,” she admitted. “But it should be fine, we won't be outside long.”  
He handed her a hat, mittens, and scarf. “Here, this should help. Until we can get you some more clothes that fit better” he said with a smile, then kissed her.

They were able to pack up everything she owned within a couple hours. She hadn’t accumulated much in the past couple months. They headed back to his place since the snow had picked up; a couple inches covered the ground now.  
“If you’re not too cold, and feeling up to it, we could go for a little walk along the lake,” he suggested.  
“Yeah, I’d like that,” she replied. He helped her into one of his warmer jackets, putting it on over top of the one she already wore.  
They walked casually along the shoreline, until Juliana stopped to look out across the lake. It had started to freeze over, but the ice still looked thin.  
“By February it’s usually frozen enough to walk on. Some people even ice fish along the far side of the lake.” He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her holding onto her bump. “I’ve done it myself here a few times.”  
“It sounds fun,” she said softly, a little lost in thought.  
They had walked past the spot she had landed when she travelled here. She remembered how her sister had felt after being away from her world for a few months. Juliana wondered if she would start to feel the same. She wondered how long she would have until she started to get those restless feelings. She had been there nearly five months already and her sister had only lasted six. She wasn’t ready to return. She didn’t think she even wanted to go back. She definitely did not want to raise her babies in that world. Alone. She shuddered. The thought scared her.  
“Are you cold?” he asked her.  
“No, just thinking...” she said quietly.  
She felt him cock his head to the side.  
“...about everything that lead to this. To me being here. The future. The unknown...” she trailed off.  
“Well you said you don’t know how you got here, and no one knows the future.” He spun her to face him.  
“Joe, I have to tell you something...” she looked up at him. “I do know how I got here, kind of. I just don’t know how to explain it. If I try to, I'm afraid I’ll sound crazy.”  
“Well, try me” he said, curious about where she had come from. She hadn’t shred much about her past, but as curious as he was, he didn’t want to push her.  
She inhaled. She wasn’t sure she was ready to explain it, but he deserved to know the truth. After everything they had been through, everything he had done for her, it was the least she could do.  
“Do you believe in the possibility that there are other worlds out there? Like this one, but different,” she asked carefully. She watched him closely to gauge his reaction.  
“I don’t know” he said honestly. “I’ve never really thought about it.”  
He didn’t say anything else, so she continued.  
“Well I’ve been to a different world… I’m from a different world,” she took another deep breath.  
“How is that possible?” He asked. He pulled back from her a little so he could look her in the eyes.  
“I don’t know. But the night you found me, I came from another place, another world. I had been locked up, I was shot in an attempt to stop my travel here,” she looked away from him. She was starting to feel crazy for saying it aloud.  
“Who shot you?” he asked, it was the only thing he could think of to say to her.  
“A powerful man named John Smith. He captured me trying to get information about some people I was working with.”  
He wasn’t sure what to think. How else to respond. He let go of her and took a couple steps back taking in a deep breath. She worried it was too much. Too much for him to hear, too much for him to process. She didn’t move from where she stood, wanting to give him space, but was dying to step towards him.  
“I’m sorry” she began. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know if you’d even believe me… do you?” She asked, tears stung her eyes.  
“I don’t know. It’s a lot to process. It doesn’t seem possible” he said pacing back and forth in front of her. _Why would she lie about this? How could she even make this up?_ The thoughts raced through his mind.  
He looked up at her and saw the tears in her eyes. He moved to her now. Wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug.  
“I’m not sure what to think. I don’t think you’re lying; I trust you. I just don’t know what to think of it” he said. He hadn’t wanted to upset her and felt a little guilty for doing so. His hands found her face, wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes, then pulled her up to meet his lips. He kissed her gently then said, “I love you.”  
“I love you too” she replied. Relief washed over her. “I promise to answer any questions you have... but first can we go back inside? I’m starting to get cold,” she said with a small laugh.  
“Yes, of course” he answered rubbing his hands up and down her arms before they headed back to the house.

It was nearly dinner time when they got back inside. He stood leaning on the counter while she cooked for him.  
“So,” he began. “What’s it like? The world you’re from.”  
“This world is much better.” She wasn’t sure how to tell him about her world. “The Nazis won the war. America isn’t like it is here, there’s no freedom. I’ve lived in fear for so many years. I never imagined there was somewhere better out there. It was my sister who introduced me to the possibility of another world. A better world. This world.”  
He had many questions but could tell that those thoughts haunted her. “How did your sister know about the other worlds?”  
“She’s a traveler, kind of like me. But it came more naturally to her” she said, keeping busy with her task. She wondered if Trudy was here, in this world. She wondered if she would ever see her again.  
“You said you were working with some people, what were you guys doing?” he asked.  
“We were trying to stop the Nazis; they are trying to get to other worlds. I’m not sure what their plans are exactly, but what we saw was failure.”  
“They’re trying to get here, to this world?” he said in disbelief.  
She stayed silent, knowing his question was more of a statement of shock.  
“Why do you think you came here?” he asked after he took a moment to process what she had told him. He had been curious about that particular question since she had told him where she came from.  
_Fuck!_ She thought. It was one of the few questions she was trying to avoid. She had dreamt of this world, wished it was possible so many times. “Um, I think I was meant to meet you. Here in this world,” she said slowly.  
He felt the hesitation in her words. “Was I there? In your world. Did you know me?” he asked, the realization had just come to him.  
_FUCK!!_ Her mind raced. How was she supposed to answer that! How could she possibly tell him that in her world he was one of the bad guys? A Nazi. The father to her babies. Dead. That she had killed him, that if she hadn’t, he would have killed her. Nothing good could come of this, not now, and probably not ever. The man in front of her was not the same man she reminded herself. So, she answered semi-truthfully.  
“Yeah... We met in a small town. You were a truck driver. We helped each other out. Kept each other alive. But that was all. I had a boyfriend at the time and we both respected that.” She could feel tears welling in her eyes, she turned to the sink and fought them back before he noticed. She left it at that. She decided that was enough to share, for now at least. He didn’t ask any more questions about the Joe she knew in that world.  
Instead he responded with “it’s weird to think that there are other versions of ourselves out there.”  
She exhaled the breath she had been holding.  
Then he asked, “how do you know that you won't run into the you from this world?”  
“Well, there can only be one in each world. So, there isn’t another Juliana Crain alive in this world. Maybe she lived here at some point, but I wouldn’t have come here if she was alive still.”  
He stood quietly for a minute then asked, “do you want to go back?”  
She took a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t know.”  
She looked at his face and saw an ounce of pain in his eyes. The thought of her leaving hurt him.  
She quickly added. “I’m sorry, I didn’t really mean that. There’s not much there for me. I don’t have a good reason to go back. There are few people there that I would risk my life for. The life of these babies. This is where I want to spend the rest of my life. Here in this world. With you.” She moved her hand to her belly. “I want to raise these babies with you.”  
He looked at her and reached out an arm to pull her close.  
“I won’t lie. I’m scared for what’s going to happen. With my sister, she couldn’t stay out of her world very long. After a few months she was too restless. Her body was desperate to get back to her world. She tried for quite a while to get back,” she said quietly as he held her. “As of now I feel nothing of the sort, and I’m hoping I never do. I’m happier here than I’ll ever be there.”  
He leaned down to kiss her forehead.  
“Let’s eat” she said after a few minutes of being wrapped in his embrace.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been about two weeks since Juliana had told Joe the truth about where she was from. He hadn’t asked her anymore questions. He was happy she had told him the truth, but it was a lot to take in; a little overwhelming too. He knew it also made her uncomfortable to talk about certain parts of her past, so he decided not to push. All that mattered was that she was there now with him, and she intended to stay. It was nearly Christmas, and Juliana was looking forward to being able to celebrate it again. She had only faint memories of Christmas as a child, before the war had ended.  
She sat by the fire watching Joe set up some decorations. He had a small tree and some lights that he put out every year.  
“This is even better than I remember it being” she said to him when he finished and sat down beside her. He put one arm around her, she leaned in to rest her head on his chest.  
“So, my mother usually comes over for Christmas dinner...” he said, then waited for a response. Nothing. “I haven’t told her about the babies... or you.”  
She looked up at him a little shocked by his confession. “You haven’t? I thought you said you were going to call her!”  
“Um... I’ve just been putting it off...” He shrugged when she sat up giving him a disapproving look.  
“Is she coming this year?” Juliana asked, unsure of what answer she wanted to hear. It’s not that she didn’t want to meet his mother, because she did, it was just that she was nervous to meet her.  
“I haven’t asked her yet, but I was going to call her tomorrow. I just want to check that you’re okay with it. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. This is your home now too.”  
“Yes, absolutely invite her,” she said, “I would love to meet her.”  
He was anxious about them meeting but he knew she would be supportive of his situation. She had always said she wanted grandchildren, and she had occasionally joked about his age and time running out.

The next day he called his mother after breakfast.  
“Will you be coming for Christmas?” He asked her.  
“I was starting to think you weren’t going to invite me!” She said in response. “Of course, I will be there.”  
“Good! I have someone I want you to meet. She will be here for dinner as well.” He wanted to at least inform her about Juliana being there. He figured she would be shocked enough when she arrived to see Juliana obviously pregnant.  
“That’s wonderful, I’m excited to see you Joseph” she said, he could hear the excitement in her voice. “I’ll see you in a few days then.”  
“I’m looking forward to it” he replied.

On the day Joe’s mother was arriving, Juliana woke up early, too anxious to sleep. She busied herself with cleaning and cooking prep.  
“You don’t have to worry,” he said trying to reassure her. He was growing anxious himself, but he wouldn’t let her see that. “My mother is going to love you, and she’s going to be very excited about the babies.”  
“Do you think she’ll care that I was pregnant when we met?” She asked.  
“Honestly, I don’t know. But I wasn’t planning to say anything unless she asks.” He reached to take her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.  
“How long until she gets here?” Juliana looked at the clock.  
“Shouldn’t be long now. She said she was going to leave home around lunch, and it’s only a couple hour drive.”  
Less than ten minutes later, his mother’s car pulled up in front of the house. He went out to greet her and helped her carry her bags in. She had planned to stay a few nights, like she did every year.  
Inside Juliana paced nervously in the kitchen while she waited.  
Joe walked in with his mother following behind.  
“Mother, this is Juliana” he said, then stepped aside so they could shake hands.  
“Hi dear, it’s lovely to meet you.”  
“You too Mrs. Blake.” Juliana said as they shook hands.  
“Please, call me Elsa.” Her eyes dropped to Juliana’s round belly. She glanced back at Joe with a questioning look.  
Joe moved to Juliana's side. Placed a hand on her belly. With a smile on his face, he said, “and this little bump will be your two new grandbabies in a few months.”  
He could see the brief shock on his mother’s face, but it quickly changed to excitement.  
She was speechless.  
“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner,” Joe added after an awkward moment of silence. “It’s been a busy few months. And everything happened so fast.”  
“This is wonderful!” Elsa said. “When is your due date?” She asked Juliana.  
“April 10th.”  
“On your birthday Joseph?” Her excitement grew.  
“Yeah, but because its twins, the doctor says they’ll be here sooner. Most likely March.”  
“That’s going to come fast!”  
“Yeah,” both Juliana and Joe said with a smile.

After dinner, Joe and his mother sat in the living room to catch up while Juliana showered before bed.  
“She’s a really nice young woman, Joseph,” said Elsa, after taking a sip of wine. “It makes me happy to see you so happy.”  
“Thanks. She really is amazing.”  
“How long have you known her?” she asked curiously.  
“We met in the summer. Things just felt right, I don’t know how to explain it. She found out she was pregnant shortly after... I know it isn’t ideal, but I love her. And nothing will change that,” he said, feeling a little defensive. He grew tired of the questions but understood why she asked. He hadn’t exactly been honest with her. He knew he should have told her sooner and could tell it upset her that he hadn’t. “I’m sorry again for not telling you sooner. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just didn’t want to disappoint you.”  
“Joseph,” she said then reached out a hand to take hold of his. “I am a little upset, and I wish you had told me sooner, but I would never be disappointed in you for this. I think it’s incredible. I get to be a grandmother finally,” she let out a small laugh. “And to two babies. It’s truly amazing, really.”  
He smiled at her. “Thanks.”

They enjoyed the holidays, just the three of them. Joe’s mother left a few days after Christmas, leaving them alone for New Years. It was a couple hours before midnight on New Year’s Eve and Juliana was ready for bed.  
“I’m not sure I’m going to make it until midnight,” she said with a yawn and rubbed her hands over her face.  
“Well you can sleep, I’ll wake you up before midnight if you’d like,” he kissed the top of her head. They were on the couch together; she had her head in his lap as they watched TV. She fell asleep shortly after he reassured her that he would wake her up.  
He watched whatever was on the TV but wasn’t paying much attention to it. He thought about everything they needed to do before the babies came. The doctors had warned them that they would likely be born at the end of March, but there was the possibility that they could come sooner. They had done nothing to prepare. He had been meaning to turn his office space into a nursery for them, but they hadn’t t gotten any supplies yet. His mother had reminded him of how quickly time flies, and before they knew it the babies would be there. He decided they would start preparing over the next couple of weeks. He kept glancing at the clock and forced himself to stay awake. As promised, he woke her shortly before midnight.  
“Hey, it’s nearly midnight” he kissed her forehead.  
“Hmm,” she sat up sleepily.  
“So, I was thinking we could start making up a nursery for the babies. Maybe over the next couple weeks, I want to turn the office space into their room,” he said looking at her. She was barely awake.  
“Yeah, that sounds good. Maybe this was silly to wake up for” she laughed, then yawned. “We should probably just go to sleep...” her hand fell to her belly and her eyes widened. “Oh! They're both moving like crazy right now!” she reached for his hands and placed one on each side of her bump.  
He felt the babies kick and move under his hands. He glanced up at the clock and noticed it was midnight exactly.  
“I couldn’t imagine a better way to start the New Year!” He kissed her hard on the lips. “I love you.”  
“I love you too, and I think these babies love you so much already.” She smiled at him.  
He stood up after the babies stopped kicking. “Let’s get you to bed” he held out his hand to help her up.

When she woke up it was just starting to get light out and Joe was still fast asleep beside her. The dream she had awoken from left her feeling mildly restless and uneasy. She couldn’t recall exactly what it had been about, just that she felt a little off from it. She looked at the clock, it was still early. The snow had piled up overnight against the bedroom window. She rolled over and curled up into him and rested her head on his chest.  
He woke up from her moving closer and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. There was a slight chill to the air, but his embrace warmed her.  
“Sorry I woke you” she said softly.  
“Hm, no, it’s okay” he said not yet fully awake. He moved to kiss her. “Did you sleep okay?” he asked.  
“Yes, I did, thank you,” she said with a smile, kissing him again, the off feeling from her dream had disappeared.  
She ran her hands along his chest, down to the band of his boxers. She moved so she was nearly on top of him, her hand finding his already hard cock through the fabric.  
He moaned at her touch, then rolled her over so he was over top of her. He kissed her deep, wanting more. He traced a hand down her neck, across her collar bone, and down further until his hand found her breast. Cupping it, his thumb teased over her nipple. She shifted under his touch when his mouth took over for his hand. He reached his hand down between her legs and pushing her panties out of the way. He followed the lines of her folds then pushed two fingers inside her.  
“I want to taste you” he said, moving down between her thighs. She bit her bottom lip with delight.  
She propped herself up on the pillows so she could see him over her growing belly. He kissed and licked at the inside of her thighs, sending shivers throughout her body. He worked his way up to her center. He kissed her clit, then moved his tongue over her, licking and gently sucking as the excitement grew inside her.  
“That feels incredible” she breathed, hot from his touch. Her body shuddered with pleasure; “I’m going to come” she moaned as her back arched and her orgasm took over. She reached out and pulled him up, planting a soft kiss on his lips after regaining her thoughts. She could feel his erection pressed against her. His boxers were still on, so she pushed at the waistband, reaching her hand inside to grab a hold of his cock. The sticky warmth of his pre-come present on the fabric.  
He removed his boxers promptly and moved so he was kneeling between her thighs. He pulled her closer, his painfully hard cock pressed to her wet pussy. He pushed into her, keeping his eyes locked on hers. He kept a slow steady rhythm, taking in the feel of her tight walls around his cock.  
“Your cock feels so good,” she breathed when her eyes met his.  
He picked up speed and felt his orgasm nearing as he thrust harder into her. She was close to coming again, but the look on her face told him he would finish first.  
His thumb moved to her clit, rubbing it, determined to make her come again before he did. But he couldn’t hold it back anymore, his orgasm pulsed through him. He slowed but he didn’t stop thrusting as his warm come filled her. She felt the bursts of his orgasm inside her causing her to climax again. He collapsed onto the bed beside her and buried his face in her hair for a few moments before lifting his head to meet her eyes. He kissed her forehead then rested his head down beside hers.  
She was still trembling when he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her.  
“You really are incredible,” she smiled. “We might have to try some new, more accommodating, positions soon,” she laughed after a few minutes of silence.  
“That we will,” he smiled, then kissed her head.


	9. Chapter 9

It was nearly 3am when Juliana sat up in bed, awoken suddenly from a dream. She pushed the covers back and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting there a moment before she got up to get a glass of water. Her movements had woken Joe.  
“Everything okay?” he asked sleepily. His hand reached out to rub her back. He noticed her skin was damp with sweat.  
“Just a bad dream” she answered, her breathing slowed to normal. “I’m just going to get some water. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back in a minute.”  
He rubbed her back again before she stood to leave. By the time she had walked to the door she could hear his soft snores again. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself some water, then sat at the table. She was a little too wound up from the dream to fall back asleep just yet. She tried to push the memories from her dream out of her head but had little success. Lost in her thoughts and sipping her water, she hadn’t noticed Joe walk into the kitchen.  
“Can’t sleep?” he asked taking a seat beside her.  
“No, that dream, something about it just made me feel uneasy.” She looked up at him, she could tell he was waiting to hear what was bothering her. “It was really strange, I had found Trudy, but it wasn’t her, at least not the Trudy I grew up with. She kept trying to warn me about something but wouldn’t say what. Just kept telling me it was almost time. Then she just disappeared, and I was alone, in this old concrete building. I don’t know where it was or what it was. But I could hear people, it sounded like they were looking for someone, maybe me. I tried to stay hidden but then...” she trailed off.  
“What happened?” he asked, taking her hand.  
“I don’t know. I think that’s when I woke up,” she said looking back at her now empty glass. After a few minutes of silence, she looked back at him, she could tell he was still tired. “Let’s go back to bed.”  
He leaned over to kiss her forehead. “Okay” he didn’t question it.  
After they crawled back into bed, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him. He placed his other hand on her round belly. “I love you,” he said quietly.  
“I love you too,” she replied. “Thank you.”

Juliana slept restlessly for a few hours but woke when daylight filled the room. She rolled over to try and fall back asleep but couldn’t get comfortable. Her growing belly had made it harder and harder to sleep comfortably. She got up and moved to the couch, grabbing a blanket to see if she could get a bit more sleep in before Joe woke up. They had planned to go to New York to meet up with Elsa, since she wanted to help them pick out some stuff for the nursery. It was mid-January, a couple weeks since they had decided it was time to start getting ready, and Joe had just finished emptying the room next to theirs. It was time to get and set up the furniture. She tossed and turned on the couch, unable to fall back asleep. She got up and showered and dressed for the day.

Juliana sat at the table staring blankly at the empty coffee mug in front of her.  
“Didn’t sleep much?” Joe asked her after walking into the kitchen and noticing the tired look on her face.  
“Hm,” she looked up at him. “No, I didn’t sleep very well after that dream. I’ve been really restless since then.”  
He stopped and turned to look at her. “Restless…?” He stopped; the colour drained from his face. “Like your sister was?”  
“What?” It took her a minute to recall what he was talking about. “No, no… I don’t think it’s that… I’m pretty sure it’s just normal pregnancy restlessness.” _Fuck! What if he’s right?_ She thought. _No, it can’t be._  
“We don’t have to go today, we can reschedule.” He moved over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
“No, I’m okay. I’m looking forward to today,” placed a hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He didn’t look convinced. “Really, if anything it will keep me busy, which is a good thing!”  
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s get going then.”  
They headed to a small town outside the city where Elsa lived. It was Juliana’s first time leaving town and she was enjoying the views of the snow covered mountains. The road wound around lakes and along rivers as fresh snow fell blanketing the trees.  
“It’s like a dream” Juliana said as she watched out the window, amazed at the sight.  
Joe was used to the sight, although he still found peace in its beauty. “It’s part of why I wanted to live out here. I convinced my mother to keep the house so I could stay here when she moved closer to the city. There’s something about the outdoors that I’ve always been drawn to.”  
“I can see why,” she smiled at him before returning her gaze outside.

When they arrived at Elsa’s she had an early lunch ready and waiting.  
“You look great, Juliana” Elsa said after giving her a welcoming hug. “Those little grandbabies of mine are growing quick!”  
“Yes, they are,” Juliana replied with a small smile. She was still a bit nervous around Elsa, even though Joe had assured her that his mother was truly happy for them.  
“I hope the drive was okay, I was hoping it wouldn’t be snowing today,” Elsa said to Joe.  
“It was actually quite nice” Joe said giving his mother a quick hug. “The roads weren’t too snowy at all.”  
“Do you have any ideas about how you want to set up the nursery yet?” Elsa asked as they are their lunch.  
“No, not really” Juliana admitted. “We haven’t thought much about it. I figured we could get some inspiration at the store.”  
“Good idea. I have this adorable little place in mind. I think they’ll have something perfect for you two.”

After lunch they went shopping and picked out most of the nursery furniture they searched for. Elsa had insisted on purchasing many of the items for them as a gift.  
“I hope you’ll let me come visit for a while after the babies are born. I would love to come help you two out for a bit. As long as it doesn’t overlap with your parents visiting Juliana?” Elsa said as they loaded the items into the car.  
“Um, no... My parents aren’t around anymore,” Juliana said nervously.  
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry, I had no idea.” She glared back at Joe for not warning her.  
“Thanks, and yes, I would be happy if you could come for a bit when the babies are born. If it’s not too much trouble of course,” Juliana was grateful for her offer. She knew very little about caring for babies, but she also knew she would learn very soon.  
“I think we should go before it gets too late. Maybe we can get home before dark,” Joe said after a minute of awkward silence.  
“Yes, good idea,” Elsa smiled at him, then proceeded to hug him. “Thank you for coming down, I really enjoyed today.”  
“No problem, and thank you, really,” Juliana said when Elsa moved to hug her.

They made it home shortly before dark, just as planned. Juliana was drained from the poor sleep the night before and the busy day. Despite it being early, Juliana was ready for bed. Joe could clearly see the exhaustion on her face.  
“Are you feeling up to working tomorrow?” Joe asked, noticing the tired blank stare she had as she sat on the edge of the bed.  
“Hm?” she looked up at him. “Uh, yeah. Hopefully I can just get a good sleep tonight.”  
They crawled into bed and Juliana fell asleep wrapped in Joe’s arms.

Thankfully she slept well that night and was rested enough to feel good at work the next day.  
About halfway through her shift Nancy came in for some lunch.  
“Hey Juliana! How was your Christmas?” Nancy asked.  
“Hi Nancy. It was really good, thank you! How about yours?” Juliana responded as she poured a coffee for her friend. They hadn’t seen each other much in the past month so it was nice to catch up.  
“It was good, I actually met someone over New Years. He’s really great. We could definitely get together sometime so you and Joe can meet him.” Nancy was excited at the thought of a double date.  
“That sounds wonderful. It will be very nice to meet him,” Juliana was happy for her friend.  
“How does drinks at the Country Club next Friday sound?” Nancy asked.  
“Yes, I’ll check with Joe, but I don’t think we have any plans. We’ll plan to get together then, but I’ll let you know if we need to reschedule.”  
“Great! Looking forward to it,” She said with a smile.

It was Sunday, so Joe was home when Juliana got off work. She told him of the plans for the following week. He was looking forward to their night out. They rarely spent time out, or with others, so they were looking forward to it.  
Juliana was quite tired once again by the end of the evening. Work was getting increasingly tiresome as the weeks went on. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to work. She had originally hoped to make it to 30 weeks, but her shift that day had her questioning if the next two weeks would be worth it. It wasn’t a long shift or anything, she was just really starting to feel it.  
“I think I’m ready to stop working now,” Juliana said as they got ready for bed. She knew he would supportive.  
“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Take the couple extra weeks to relax and grow those babies,” Joe was pleased at her confession. He had been hoping she would stop working soon, but any time he suggested it, she reassured him she was fine.  
“I’ll talk to my boss tomorrow about when my last shift can be. He’s expecting it soon anyways, so there shouldn’t be any issue.” She yawned, then crawled into bed.  
“Are you sure you’re going to make it past 8:00 next Friday?” Joe joked as he crawled into bed next to her.  
“I’ll be fine,” she laughed playfully. “Goodnight,” she said planting a kiss to his lips in the dark.  
“Goodnight.”

 _“Juliana you need to go back, you don’t have much time left” the familiar, yet not, voice of her sister said. But Juliana couldn’t see her anywhere; she wasn’t even sure where the voice had come from. It was dark and cold, perhaps the same building as her last dream, she didn’t recognize it though. The building was old and unkept, the concrete walls and floors were damp, and the roof leaked with an occasional drip. She walked down the narrow corridor towards a faint light at the far end. There were many doors lining the hallway, most of them broken off their hinges. Many of the rooms contained remnants of beds._ A hospital or institution perhaps, _Juliana thought to herself._  
_“Juliana, you can’t leave, you’re needed here,” she heard Joe’s voice. She still didn’t see anyone._  
_She continued to the end of the corridor but suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind her. She spun quickly, seeing the tall dark figure of a man, unable to make out a face._  
_“I’ve been looking for you-“ the deep voice said reached out to grab her._

“Juliana? JULIANA!! Wake up, its just a dream!” Joe was sitting up in bed with his hands on her shoulders; he had turned the nightstand light on. She could see the worry on his face.  
“Hmm, what?” She asked, a little confused still.  
“You must have been having a nightmare or something,” he said, helping her sit up. “Do you remember what happened?”  
“No, I don’t,” she lied. She remembered the dream perfectly. The voice still haunter her. “Could you please get me a glass of water?” She squeezed his hand gently. He nodded then got up to get her water.  
The voice from her dream played over and over in her head in the haunting tone. She shuddered at his words. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be.  
Had John Smith found her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapters might be a little slower to post for a bit, but I still have so many ideas for their story.  
> Hope you're enjoying it!  
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

“Did you ask the doctor if there’s anything that can help you sleep?” Joe asked Juliana in the evening after one of her routine appointments. Her appointments had increased in frequency, they were now every two weeks.  
“Yeah, he said it’s not unusual to have nightmares while pregnant or to be uncomfortable sleeping. He suggested practicing relaxation techniques, that it might help. Otherwise, I just have to wait it out.” The dreams had been happening for nearly two weeks now, although it didn’t happen every night. It had always been some variation of that first dream; the same concrete building. She usually heard her sister telling her to go, but a few times she had encountered others. She still couldn’t make sense of any of it.  
Joe studied her face. The shadows under her eyes had become more noticeable each day. “I’ll do anything I can to help.”  
She smiled at him, “I’m fine, I promise.” She was starting to grow tired of his overbearing behaviour. But she wasn’t exactly being truthful about the dreams, so she didn’t feel right telling him to back off.  
“Why I don’t I run you a bath, maybe that will help you relax a bit before bed,” he offered.  
“Yes, that sounds wonderful” she accepted.  
He was right about the bath helping her relax. Along with helping calm her thoughts, she also felt some relief from the pains of pregnancy. Her belly was getting bigger each day, and she was starting to feel the effects of carrying twins. She knew it wouldn’t be much longer, maybe a month. And she expected that time to fly by. After her bath she crawled into bed. It was early so Joe decided to stay up a bit longer, but Juliana was hoping that relaxing in the bath would help keep away any dreams tonight. She fell asleep almost instantly after turning off the lights.

_“Juliana! Please, you can’t stay here, it’s not safe!” Her sisters voice begged._   
_“What’s not safe Trudy?” Juliana asked quietly, she couldn’t see her sister though. “Trudy! Where are you?” she walked down that same dark cold hallway that had been in every previous dream. She heard faint voices coming from the closed door across from the stairs as she neared the end of the hallway. Unsure if she actually wanted to see what was behind it, she stood carefully outside trying to make out the conversation. It was too faint to hear. The door wasn’t latched so she quietly pushed it open a crack and hoped it wouldn’t creak with the movement. She moved to peek inside when suddenly a hand came behind her and covered her mouth, pulling her back and pushing her up against the nearby wall._   
_It was Trudy. Juliana’s body relaxed and her sister’s hand fell from her mouth. She made a quiet Shh noise and held a finger to her lips. Juliana nodded then followed her sister when she turned and led her down the stairs and into a dark quiet room, closing the door behind them._   
_“What are you doing Jules!?” Trudy said angrily but keeping her voice low._   
_Juliana was still shocked at the sight of her sister._   
_“Are you trying to get caught? Why would you go in there!” Her sister was clearly frustrated._   
_“I don’t even know where we are. What’s going on? How are you here?” Juliana’s head swam with questions._   
_“We don’t have time. You can’t be here. They’re going to find you Juliana. You need to go home. That’s the only place you’re safe,” Trudy said quickly._   
_“What do you mean, this is home now,” her hand instinctively moved to her belly. It was flat. She wasn’t pregnant. “What?” she said aloud, shocked by the discovery. “What is going on?” she demanded grabbing hold of her sister’s arm._   
_Trudy yanked her arm free and turned back to the door, “I have to go. Juliana, please, go home! That’s the only way to stop this. Trust me, you’ll feel better back in your world.” Then before Juliana could stop her, she was gone._

She woke up and found Joe fast asleep beside her. Glancing at the clock beside the bed she noticed it was nearly 2am. Thankfully the dream hadn’t left her too uneasy; mostly she was confused by it. Who had been in the room her sister stopped her from entering? Who was after her? The Nazis she assumed, perhaps John Smith himself. Why hadn’t Trudy answered any of her questions? And why had she left so quickly? The dream definitely left her with more questions than it had answers. But maybe it was a step closer to figuring out what was going on. _Go home. Trust me, you’ll feel better back in your world._ The words played over in her head. She had suspected it since Joe asked her, but she had desperately hoped it wasn’t true. The dream only confirmed her fears and she didn’t want to go back. She wanted to stay here, where she was building a life for herself and her babies. Where they would have a father, and they could be happy together. There were only a few people who would miss her from her world. And they would probably all be happy for her, even if it meant they wouldn’t see her again. She didn’t want to tell Joe he had been right. The thought of leaving him hurt her. She had already lost him once; she wasn’t about to walk away from him now. She was determined to find a solution, surely there was one. In the meantime, she would play it off as pregnancy fatigue.  
Unable to fall back asleep she went to the couch and picked up a book she had been reading over the past few nights when she couldn’t sleep.

She woke up to Joe placing a blanket over her. She had fallen asleep on the couch with her book still in one hand.  
“Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said softly, then kissed her forehead.  
“No, it’s okay,” she noticed he was dressed in his work clothes. “What time is it?” she asked sleepily.  
“7, I’m just getting ready for work. Why don’t you go crawl back into bed, it might be more comfortable?”  
“No, it’s okay, I’ll go make some coffee,” She smiled then placed the book on the coffee table.  
She stood in the kitchen staring blankly at the stove as the coffee brewed.  
“Are you sure you’re up for going out tonight? I’m sure Nancy wouldn’t mind if we rescheduled.” Joe asked when h walked into the kitchen and saw her staring at the coffee pot. He had been concerned for her over the past few days; she didn’t seem to be herself, and he worried that it was because she had been away from her world too long. Anytime he mentioned it, she insisted it wasn’t related, and that it was because she was pregnant.  
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Plus, it will be good to get out, I’m looking forward to it.”  
“Okay, well I should get going. I’ll see you after work, take it easy today,” he kissed her again.  
“Thanks, I was just hoping to get some of the baby clothes washed and put away, and maybe organize their room a bit. Have a good day at work, love you.” Juliana handed Joe the thermos of coffee she had just poured for him.  
“Love you too” he said before leaving.

Juliana had considered cancelling on Nancy, but she knew how excited her friend was about introducing her new boyfriend. She also was looking forward to the evening out, regardless of how tired she was. She had managed to take a short nap after lunch while she waited for the laundry to dry.  
They walked into the Country Club just after 7. Juliana searched the room for her friend and spotted her in the far corner at a booth; she was sitting alone.  
“Hey Nancy!” Juliana said when they approached the booth. They slid into the seat across from her.  
“Hey! How are you?” Nancy said with a big smile on her face.  
“Good, and you?” Juliana wondered where Nancy’s date was. She searched the room, but realized she had no idea who she was looking for.  
“Great. I’m so happy you guys could make it! It’s good to see you again Joe,” Nancy said, then noticed her friend looking around the room. “Have you been here before?”  
Juliana looked back at her. “Um, no I haven’t. It’s nice,” she smiled.  
Nancy glanced at her watch, then the door behind Juliana, before returning to Juliana.  
“So, how’s all the baby prepping coming?” Nancy asked trying to make conversation.  
“I think we’re just about ready. It’s crazy to believe that in just a few short weeks they might be here,” Juliana said then looked at Joe.  
“I think we’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” he added with a laugh.  
“Hey!” Juliana heard a voice say from behind her.  
She thought the voice sounded oddly familiar, so she turned to look. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her jaw dropped and the colour drained from her face. _This can’t be possible…. Fuck!_ She was staring, speechless with her mouth slightly agape.  
John Smith.  
He slid into the booth next to Nancy, sitting directly across from Juliana. She couldn’t think, didn’t know what to say. Shock didn’t even begin to cover it. Joe’s hand found hers under the table and gave her a gentle squeeze bringing her back to reality. She turned to look at him and managed a brief smile. He had noticed her reaction and was concerned for her.  
“You okay?” he mouthed to her when John and Nancy were preoccupied by a brief exchange about their days.  
Juliana nodded trying to reassure him, then turned back to look at Nancy.  
“Juliana and Joe, this is John,” she introduced her boyfriend. She could hardly contain her excitement.  
“Nice to meet you both” John said.  
“You too,” Joe replied shaking his hand.  
Juliana kept her hands under the table. She was still shocked but managed a forced a smile.  
“Have you lived here long?” Joe asked John after a moment of awkward silence.  
“Um, no, I actually live out of town. But I come up here for work often.” He looked over at Nancy and smiled.  
“Where do you work?” Joe asked trying to make small talk.  
“I drive a delivery truck. I was in the army for a while but retired about a year ago. I wanted to get out and see more, so I moved out of the city and got a delivery job. What about you two?” he asked.  
“I work construction in town here,” Joe replied simply.  
Juliana swallowed hard and moved her hands to her belly where one of the babies was kicking her. She kept it to herself not wanting to draw attention.  
She looked up from the table and met John’s eyes. A shiver ran down her back, he was looking at her like he was waiting for an answer.  
Nancy’s voice filled the silence when Juliana didn’t answer. “She’s working at the diner, remember I told you that.” She playfully bumped his shoulder.  
Juliana grabbed Joe’s leg under the table in hopes he wouldn’t correct Nancy. He looked at her and nodded slightly. He had no idea what was going on, but he trusted Juliana was uncomfortable for a reason.  
They sat enjoying their drinks and light conversation. Luckily Nancy liked to talk so she spent most of the time directing questions at John, getting him to share stories about his past. It was obvious to Juliana that they were still getting to know each other and that they hadn’t spent much time together. She remained silent, still unsure what to say.  
A couple hours passed when Joe looked over at Juliana and noticed she looked very tired. Plus, he was tired from his workday.  
“Should we call it a night?” Joe asked. Juliana nodded; the tension in her body had become uncomfortable after so long.  
“Yeah, I think we’re ready to head out too,” Nancy said.  
“Thanks for inviting us out,” Juliana stood, her eyes stayed on John. She noticed his eyes immediately fell to her round belly. She saw the shock- and perhaps a hint of surprise- wash over his face, then she quickly turned to grab her jacket. Joe was talking to Nancy about something Juliana wasn’t sure what.  
“I didn’t realize you’re pregnant!” John said to her, his voice seemed familiar in a terrifying way that made her blood run cold.  
It was possibly the only time all evening that Juliana feared him to be the John Smith she knew. She felt suffocated by his words. Any other time he had asked her a question or addressed her in anyway, Joe had jumped in, speaking for her when she couldn’t find words. Glancing at Joe she noticed he hadn’t heard John. She swallowed hard, turned to look at him and said “Yeah, shouldn’t be much longer now.” She instinctively moved a hand to her belly, then managed a small smile, mostly at the thought.  
“Well congrats, that’s exciting.” He turned to Nancy, who was just standing up from the booth. “You didn’t tell me she’s pregnant.”  
“Oh, oops. I thought I had,” Nancy said with a small laugh then looked back at Juliana. “Well, you two have a good night.”  
“You too Nancy, John,” Joe shook his hand.  
“Bye,” Juliana managed but directed it at Nancy.

“What was that about? You looked like you saw a ghost when you met Nancy’s boyfriend, then you barely said two words all evening,” Joe asked on their drive home. He had given her a few minutes to relax, but he was curious and a little concerned.  
“I knew him from my world, well the John I knew was very different.” She wasn’t sure what else to say.  
“Did you guys…?” Joe asked, then immediately regretted his question. Before he could apologize or try to take it back, she started laughing. She stopped to answer him after she noticed him awaiting her answer.  
“NO! The John Smith I knew was…” She didn’t know how to finish it. _A Nazi?_ She thought. _But then so was the Joe I knew._ “Um, he was the one who captured me, shot me...”  
“Well it’s not the same guy, right?” he asked, anger touched his voice. The thought made him furious. How could the man they had spent the evening talking to, drinking with, been the same man who had shot her. How could she have not said something to him sooner.  
“I don’t think he’s the same man” she said, unsure if she believed it. “He didn’t say or do anything to particular make me believe that he isn’t the John Smith from this world,” she added. “But I just feel like I can’t be too careful.” And if it was the John Smith from her world, she had had some serious problems ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

Juliana met up with Nancy for coffee the next week, they had made it a regular get together before Christmas and were looking forward to resuming it.  
“So, what do you think about John? I know he’s a bit older, but it just feels right! And he’s so handsome.” A hint of pink present on her cheeks.  
“Yeah, he seems really nice. We didn’t talk much though.” Juliana sipped her coffee. She had so many questions, but she knew there was no way she could ask them without offending her friend.  
“Yeah, you were pretty quiet that night, I was kind of wondering if you were okay?” Nancy asked with a hint of concern.  
“I just haven’t been sleeping that great, you know, the joys of being very pregnant with twins,” she said with a laugh, then looked back at her friend who didn’t seem as convinced. “I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t ruin your night,” Juliana said apologetically.  
“Oh no, not at all. I hope you’re feeling better.”  
“Yeah, some nights are better than others. I guess that’s just part of being pregnant,” she let out a small laugh and took another sip of coffee. She was thankful that Nancy didn’t question it.  
“I thought maybe you had a problem with John or something,” Nancy casually added.  
Juliana swallowed hard. “Um, no. Nothing to do with him, I don’t even know him,” Juliana said hoping her voice sounded more convincing to Nancy than it did to her.  
“He’s coming back to town again this afternoon. He’s going to pick me up in like an hour,” Nancy couldn’t hide her excitement.  
“That’s great!” Juliana lied. She wanted her friend to be happy, but she didn’t trust John Smith, in her world, or any other. Plus, she had an off feeling that she couldn’t shake.  
The more Nancy talked about him; the less Juliana trusted him. So much of what she told her sounded too good. Not that it wasn’t possible to meet a better version of someone in this world, after all she had met a nearly perfect version of Joe. The fact that John had shown up in the same town she was in, only months after she arrived was suspicious enough on its own. Not to mention he lived out of town and only came for visits or work; it gave him the perfect cover for travelling between worlds. But if it was truly him, it meant the Nazis were successful in their attempts to travel between worlds, which scared her more that the thought of John finding her. She shuddered at the thought, thankfully Nancy hadn’t noticed since she was busy rambling on about something to do with John. Juliana felt guilty for not showing more interest in her friend’s new boyfriend but thinking about it stressed her out. Her doctor made clear the importance of keeping her stress minimal, for the health of her and her babies, since preterm labour was already likely with twins.  
“I’m sorry Nancy. But I think I need to get going. I’m not feeling very well and should probably get home,” Juliana was feeling irritable and listening to Nancy talk about John being a ‘good’ guy was making her sick.  
“Oh, yeah, no problem. John should be here soon anyways. I hope you feel better,” Nancy said as Juliana stood to leave.  
Once outside she stopped around the corner from the main door to take a deep breath. Feeling a little dizzy, she stood back to the wall and placed her hands on her thighs and let her head hang down. She took another deep breath, trying to focus on anything but the sick dizzy feeling.  
“Juliana?”  
Her head snapped up. Colour drained from her cheeks.  
“Are you okay?” John asked her.  
“Oh, um, yeah. Just needed a minute to catch my breath. You know, not much space left in here” her hand motioned to her round belly.  
He reached a hand out to touch her shoulder and she shifted away from him, he quickly pulled his hand back.  
“Do you want to sit down?” he asked looking around.  
“No, I should get going. Um, Nancy’s just waiting inside.” She turned and left without another word.

Joe walked into the kitchen after work, Juliana stood at the stove cooking dinner.  
“Did you have a good afternoon with Nancy?” he asked as he washed out his coffee thermos.  
“Yeah, it was fine,” she said flatly.  
He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey…” She turned to face him. The dark circles under her eyes were obvious from lack of sleep and her skin lacked colour; she looked- and sounded- beyond exhausted. “You look like you could use some rest. Why don’t you-“  
“Stop. Just stop it. I know I’m tired, sleep clearly isn’t doing anything to help. Stop telling me… just stop!” She snapped at him.  
He was completely shocked by her tone. She had never gotten angry with him in the six- nearly seven- months he had known her. He stepped back and let his hand fall to his side. She turned back to what she was doing. He stood there frozen, unsure what to say.  
After a moment he said, “Juliana, there’s something wrong, I can tell. Please tell me, I only want to help.”  
She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but his overbearingness was getting to be too much, at least for her current state. She couldn’t deny that she had heard the hurt in his voice though. _No more lies_.  
“The dreams I’ve been having; I don’t think they’re just dreams. I think they’ve found me somehow; I think somehow my sister has been trying to warn me. She keeps telling me that I need to go back, go home, but I don’t know why.” She turned the stove off, then took a deep breath and turned to him.  
“I could tell something has been off since you started having those nightmares,” he stopped, waited for a response. She stayed quiet. He was starting to get frustrated. “I don’t know why you’ve been keeping this from me. Did I say or do something to make you think you couldn’t tell me?”  
“I didn’t want to believe it, I guess I just thought that if I didn’t admit it, didn’t say it out loud, that it wasn’t true. I meant what I said. I don’t want to go back. There’s nothing there for me. I want to be here, with you. I want these babies to be here with their father, their blood-“ she stopped and bit her lip. _Fuck! Did I actually let that slip!_  
He looked up at her. “What?” he asked. He wasn’t sure he heard her correctly. What had she meant, their blood? “Juliana, what did you mean by 'their blood'?”  
“You, I want to raise them with you,” she stopped. He looked unsatisfied with her answer. She took a deep breath. No more lies, she repeated in her head. “In my world, it was you- um, Joe Blake… the babies’ father...” She bit her lip and fought back the tears that threatened. She looked at his face, his expression hard to read. One of the things she hated, she could rarely tell what he was thinking. She stood quietly waiting for his response. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know… How was I… What was I supposed…” She couldn’t come up with anything to say, all her excuses were just that, excuses. She settled for, “Um, I’m sorry.”  
After a moment he turned and left the kitchen, a minute later she heard the front door open and close. Unable to hold the tears back any longer she moved to sit at the table, letting her head drop into her hands. _Why did I have to say that! I should have told him sooner._ A few minutes later she stood and wiped the tears away before serving dinner onto two plates. She ate alone in silence, unsure of where Joe had gone. His car was still in the driveway, so she assumed he had gone for a walk by the lake. He needed space, time to think; hopefully when he returned, they could talk.  
After she finished eating, there was still no sign of him, so she wrapped up his dinner and put it away for him to eat when he got home. She busied herself with dishes and cleaning.

~~~  
Joe walked out towards the lake, there was a bit of snow on the ground, but it was fairly easy to walk through because it had mostly frozen. He followed along the shoreline for a long while until the house was no longer in sight. He looked out across the lake, it had completely frozen over now. He found a bench to sit on that had been cleared of the snow. Nature had always been his place to think, to clear his head. Despite the cold, he was comfortable, and thankful that he had thought to grab a jacket on his way out.  
He was shocked and hurt by Juliana’s confession. He couldn’t help but feel used. Like she was only with him because she had known some different version of him. He couldn’t help but wonder who this other version of himself was. She had told him so many other seemingly crazy things, why had she kept this from him. He paced along the shoreline; his anger began fading with each passing minute. He wanted to know the truth, he had given her so much, he figured it was the least he deserved. He was in love with her. He knew from the moment he met her, that she had entered his life for a reason. Knowing he was- in some weird way- the father to her babies actually made him happy in a sense. Sure, a part of him had secretly wished he had conceived them with her, but this was perhaps the next best thing. It definitely explained the connection he felt to her and her pregnancy. Why he hadn’t walked away from her. Why he had taken care of her- without a second thought- from the day they met. Sure, they had grown to know each other, love each other, but it had always been deeper than that.  
Lost in thought, Joe heard a faint crunching noise, footsteps maybe, behind the tree line. Turning to look, he couldn’t make anything out in the rapidly fading daylight. He turned to walk up toward the treeline and heard whatever was in the bushes leave, the noise fading. _Probably just a deer or something_ he thought. Once he reached the pathway he headed back towards the house. He had been gone long enough, he was able to gather his thoughts and calm himself down. It wasn’t often that he got mad enough to walk out on a conversation, but that particular one had left him hurt, frustrated, confused and a faint sense of happiness all at once- a strange feeling for sure. By the time he reached the house it was dark, he could see that Juliana had turned on the porch light for him.

~~~

Juliana sat on the couch trying to distract herself with reading; she glanced up at clock and noticed it had been nearly two hours since he had left. She was beginning to worry when she heard the front door open. She stayed seated and waited for him to come to her. He walked in looking calm and collected, for that she was thankful. He stopped at the doorway, not stepping any closer until she met his eyes.  
“I really am sorry,” she said apologetically.  
“Yeah,” he said simply. “Me too.”  
She looked at him questioningly. _What are you apologizing for?_  
“I shouldn’t have just left like that. I just needed some time to think, alone.” He walked over and sat beside her on the couch looking straight ahead.  
“No, you don’t need to apologize. I shouldn’t have kept it from you. I just didn’t want you to think that’s why I found you, why I’m here.” She took a deep breath then reached out to take his hand. “I love you. No one else. You. The man who found me sitting on the porch scared and hurt. The man who insisted on helping me, even when you had no idea who I was. The man who wanted- wants- to raise these babies despite my past. The man who’s been unconditionally accepting of everything about me, despite the nearly impossibility of it all.” She looked up at his face. His expression unchanged. _He’s going to be the death of me_ she thought, slightly amused by his ability to keep a straight expression.  
He turned to face her and gently squeezed her hand.  
“Promise me one thing?” he asked. She nodded. “You won’t keep anything else from me?”  
“Yes, I promise.” She sighed in relief. “Anything you want to know; I will tell you. Honestly.”  
He leaned back on the couch looking straight ahead again. Took a deep breath then asked “What really happened? Between you and… m- uh, him. You said once that you met but nothing happened. Now…”  
There was still so much that she hadn’t shared about her life before she met him. He knew only a little of the world she came from. How could she explain it all to him without it taking all night? She took a deep breath in, holding it for a few moments before exhaling.  
He turned to look at her again while she remained silent.  
“It’s a long story, it’s not as simple as I wish it was. We parted ways after we met. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see him again, but he showed up in San Francisco. I saved his life, got him out of the city, away from some people who were trying to kill him. And honestly, just like the first time, I wasn’t sure if I would ever see him again.” She stopped and swallowed hard. “Nearly a year later he turned up in San Francisco again, this time things were different…” She fought back the tears. “We reconnected, but things weren’t the same. Something was different, we had both been through so much. It was only a couple days… before…” she trailed off. The tears started to fall. He reached out to wipe them from her cheeks. “Um…” she tired desperately to tell him what happened next, but she couldn’t talk through the sobs.  
“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” He knew what came next. He pulled her close. “I know what you’re trying to say.”  
She stayed wrapped in his arms, her tears stopped, and she took a couple deep breaths before continuing.  
“There’s one more thing…” she waited, he stilled, keeping his arms around her. “It was me. I did it.” She hoped he knew what she meant; she didn’t want to have to say it out loud.  
“What?” he asked after a minute. “You…?” The tone of his voice told her he knew what she meant.  
“I really had no other choice. It was my life or his.” She swallowed hard, but he pulled her tighter.  
“I’m sorry Juliana. I don’t know what he was like, but I do know it was a different world. I trust that you only did what you needed to.” She had told him enough about the world she came from that he didn’t question her.  
They sat together silently for what seemed like forever. Joe thought maybe Juliana had fallen asleep she was so still.  
“Hey,” he said softly. He was ready for bed but didn’t want to move unless she was awake.  
“Hmm?” She was either half asleep or deep in thought.  
“I’m going to crawl into bed. Do you want stay out here?” he asked quietly.  
She sat up and looked at him. She didn’t know why he was so forgiving; but she was beyond grateful. “Thank you… for everything. I love you.”


	12. Chapter 12

“Juliana, hey, wake up!” She could faintly hear Joe’s voice calling to her.  
She opened her eye to find Joe kneeling beside her; concern and worry obvious on his face. She fought to speak, to ask him what was going on, but she couldn’t respond. Her eyes felt heavy and she fought to keep them open; but despite her efforts, she failed.  
“We’re in here!” She heard Joe call out to someone.  
“What happened?” an unfamiliar voice asked.  
 _What happened? What’s going on? Who is that?_ She still couldn’t speak; the words were only thoughts racing in her head. Panic started to set in but before she could make out anything else going on around her, she blacked out once again.

She woke up in a well-lit room, the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling were obnoxiously bright. She blinked and glanced to the side, finding Joe awkwardly asleep in a chair. Looking around the room she noticed multiple machines, some of which were beeping- thankfully rather quietly. _Why am I in the hospital?_ Fear set in; she reached a hand to her belly and found that she was still pregnant. _Good, they’re still safe_ she thought. It was too early; she was only seven and a half months along; they were safer inside. She reached for the cup of water that was on her table and propped herself up to take a small sip. When she put the cup back down, the noise woke Joe.  
“Hey,” he said quietly, rubbing his hands over his face then leaned forward and reached out to take her hand. “You’re awake.”  
“What happened?” she asked. She still had no recollection of what happened.  
“You passed out. We were sitting on the couch after dinner and you got up to go to the washroom or something, then you collapsed on the floor. I couldn’t wake you up, I called an ambulance and they brought you here. They figured something was wrong with the babies, I was so scared. But they okay, they’re doing good- healthy. “he paused to gather his thoughts. “The doctor suspects you passed out from exhaustion; they couldn’t really find anything else to explain it.” He gave her hand a small squeeze when he saw tears forming in her eyes. “You were out for a couple days, I guess your body just needed to recover. It was longer than they expected though. They’ve been watching the babies too.” He motioned towards the machine across from him.  
She had noticed the monitors on her belly but hadn’t thought about them. Taking a deep breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes, keeping one hand planted on her belly.  
“It’s okay, you’ll be okay.” He moved his free hand to the one that was on her belly.

Juliana had been sleeping a lot better since she returned from the hospital. Her doctor had put her on strict bed rest since she returned home from the hospital and told her it would likely stay that way until she delivered. Thankfully they had finished the last of the baby preparations shortly before Juliana’s hospital stay. Unfortunately, their hopes of the babies staying in until the end of March seemed less likely with recent events.  
Joe had managed to get a couple days off work to make sure she was going to be okay on her own while confined to bed. On the morning of his first day back, he couldn’t help but feel nervous about leaving her.  
“You have everything you need?” he asked her while he got ready.  
“Yes, I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him. “And if I really need anything, I can call Nancy.”  
“Yeah, okay. Maybe tonight I’ll call my mother and see if she would be willing to come up for a few days…” he though aloud. “I know she wants to come visit after the babies are born, to help out, but she might be able to come spend some time with you. Then you won’t be alone all day.”  
“It would be great, but it feels like a lot to ask.” Juliana wasn’t particularly keen on the idea, she felt more than able to take care of herself during the day. “Why don’t we see how today goes, and I’ll let you know if I need help, or company.”  
“Okay,” he was content with the compromise. “I’ll see you tonight, I have to get going. Love you.”  
“Love you too” she said then tried to fall back asleep.

_“Why haven’t you gone home yet?” Trudy asked her. They were sitting across from each other on an old mattress that was on the floor of the room they were in. It was the same concrete building she had appeared in every other time._   
_“I can’t go back yet Trudy-“ Juliana began, but was interrupted._   
_“Why not? You need to go back; they’re waiting for you!”_   
_“Who’s waiting?” Juliana asked, unsure of who exactly her sister was talking about._   
_“What are you waiting for?” Trudy asked._   
_Juliana instinctively moved a hand to her belly. She wasn’t surprised to find it flat once again._   
_“I’m pregnant. I won’t travel until after the birth. I won’t risk the babies’ lives...”_   
_Trudy gave a questioning look to Juliana’s belly._   
_“I don’t know why I’m not pregnant here, I can’t figure that out. But I am, and I don’t have much longer. I can’t imagine leaving them after, I don’t know what I’m going to do. But I’m staying put until after they’re born.”_   
_“I don’t think it’s a good idea to wait. You really should go soon.” Trudy held out a hand to take Juliana’s. “You’re going to be a really good mother. I can tell. The way you were with me, I just know you will be.”_   
_“Thanks, Tru. I really wish you could be there. I miss you so much.”_   
_“I miss you too sis,” Trudy moved to hug her. “We’ll meet again, I can feel it.” She stood._   
_“What, where are you going?” Juliana asked frantically. She was happy to actually be able to have a conversation with her sister._   
_“I have to go. I won’t be back here again though. I love you sis. Take care, and remember, please don’t wait too long.” Trudy turned and left, just as mysteriously as she had the previous times._

Juliana woke up to the sun shining bright into her room. She rolled over and looked at the clock, nearly 11. It was later than she expected, and she was surprised she had slept in so late. She was thankful that her dream hadn’t left her feeling worse, like many of the previous ones had. She actually felt relieved she was able to have a conversation with her sister- sort of. Although she still didn’t get the answers she was looking for; she had realized one thing. She had to seriously think about returning. Maybe not for good, but she needed to go back and finish whatever it was that _they_ needed her to. Whoever _they_ were.  
She sat up in bed to eat the lunch Joe had left on the bedside table for her. She was only allowed to walk as far as the bathroom and back, so he had planned and premade her lunch and snacks to leave within her reach. She appreciated everything he was doing for her. She thought back to what Trudy had told her. She needed to go back but did that mean she had to stay in that world. She didn’t want to imagine having to leave Joe, the life she had made here. What would she do with the babies? They wouldn’t be able to travel; not that she would even consider bringing them to that world. But would she really be able to leave them? What if she didn’t make it back, could she really risk leaving them without a mother?  
Taking a bit out of the sandwich Joe had left for her, she contemplated her options. She needed to figure out what to do, maybe she could find some way to get past it all without leaving. She wasn’t that important in that world, was she? She wished desperately that she could speak with her sister again. Why wasn’t she coming back? Suddenly the thought occurred to her to look for her sister here, in this world. Maybe that’s why they had been able to connect in her dreams. Why she hadn’t thought of it sooner surprised her, but figured it was probably because so much had happened and she was so focused on all the changes going on. Of course, she couldn’t actually do much to look for Trudy, but perhaps Joe would be willing to help her.  
She finished her lunch then picked up her book to read for a bit. Being confined to bed was boring and she wished she could be doing anything else. But she knew all three of them relied on her resting to keep them healthy. She couldn’t concentrate on reading, so she picked up the notebook that was beside her and began planning for how to track down her sister.

“How was your day?” Joe asked when he got home from work.  
“It was good. I slept in quite late, which is good I guess.” She was still preoccupied by the thoughts about finding her sister.  
“You sound pretty good,” he said, noticing that she didn’t sound tired at all and she almost sounded excited.  
“I think we should try to find out if my sister is here,” she said seemingly out of nowhere.  
The suggestion caught him off guard. He hadn’t been expecting that. The thought had crossed his mind before, but he hadn’t suggested it because she told him her sister was a traveler, and he assumed that meant she wouldn’t be in this world.  
“Um, yeah. I guess we could look into it. I’m not exactly sure how to…” he trailed off when she held out the book to him.  
“I wrote down some thing that might help. I mean it’s all information from my world, but maybe it could be a start?” She watched him as he read over her notes.  
“Yeah, I can stop by the sheriff’s office in the next couple days and see if he can help out at all,” it was the only thing he could think of. He had met the sheriff a couple times, but he was new to town and had only been there a few months at most. Thankfully everyone was pretty friendly in a small town.  
“Yeah, that would be really great,” she said with a smile on her face. “I don’t want to get too excited; I know it’s very possible that she isn’t here, but there was just something about the dream I had today that made me feel like she was close. I don’t know how to explain it.”  
Joe hadn’t seen her in such a good mood in a long time, and it made him happy to see her this way. He hoped desperately that her sister was here in this world, she deserved to find her family, someone she loved.  
“I’m going to shower, then I’ll make some dinner,” he kissed her then left to shower.

~~~

Joe walked into the sheriff’s office on his lunch break; luckily it was only a couple minutes from his work site. He had been promoted to site supervisor a few weeks back, so he was able to take the time he needed to get things started for Juliana’s search.  
“Hey. Joe Blake, right?” The sheriff greeted him when he walked in.  
“Hi sheriff. Yes,” he shook the sheriff’s hand, he was surprised that he knew his name.  
“How can I help you?”  
“I was wondering if you would be able to look into someone for me. My girlfriend is trying to find her sister. They sort of lost touch a while back and she was hoping to find her again soon. I don’t know if it’s something you can do, but I figured I’d start here.” He picked at the edges of the paper that held Trudy’s name, birthdate, and possible address on it.  
“Um yeah, we can look into it. Does she think she’s here in Pennsylvania?” the sheriff asked extending his hand towards Joe.  
“Um no, probably in California, San Francisco area most likely.” Joe said handing him the paper.  
“Trudy Walker?”  
“Yes sir,” Joe said stuffing his hands in his pockets, he was a little nervous. He wasn’t sure why, but it probably had to do with the fact that he wasn’t sure what the sheriff would find, especially if he looked up Juliana too.  
“I’ll see what I can do, but the cross state might be a bit difficult. Why don’t you come back in a week and check in, hopefully we’ll have something for you?”  
“Thanks sir,” Joe said.  
“Your girlfriend, she’s pregnant right? With twins?”  
“Um, yeah…” Joe was a little confused by the question, and that the sheriff knew.  
“Small town, you know how it is,” the sheriff added when he heard the hesitation in Joe’s voice.  
“Yeah. Well I should be getting back to work. Thanks again sir.” He shook the sheriff’s hand again then turned to leave.  
Something about his encounter with sheriff Campbell had left him feeling off, but he couldn’t place it.


	13. Chapter 13

Joe walked into the sheriff’s office and was greeted immediately.  
“Hi sheriff,” Joe returned reaching out to shake his hand.  
“So, unfortunately I wasn’t able to find anything on your girl’s sister. I got a hold of San Francisco PD and they couldn’t find anyone by the name Trudy Walker. I also ran a local search, and nothing came up. I’m not sure what else to try unless you have more information.” The sheriff handed Joe back the paper with Trudy’s information that he had left last week.  
“Thanks for looking into it, sir. I’ll pass it along to Juliana. I’ll see if there’s any other information she can provide.” Joe was disappointed by the information, or lack thereof. He wasn’t looking forward to telling Juliana, she had been very hopeful they would find something.  
“Yeah, no problem. If there’s anything thing else we can help you with, don’t hesitate to come by,” the sheriff looked back at some papers on his desk.  
“Thanks again,” Joe said before leaving. He walked out the door looking down at the paper in his hands. He stuffed it in his pocket and looked up, just in time to collide into John, who was also not paying attention. Their collision sent the papers John was holding falling to the sidewalk.  
“Oh, sorry, um… Hey John,” Joe said a hint of anger arose as he remembered this was the guy who had shot Juliana- well possibly the guy. Joe bent down to help pick up the papers that had fallen.  
“Hey, uh, Joe? No worries.” John reached down taking the papers from Joe’s hands, a little too eagerly.  
Joe noticed one of the papers had the name _Trudy Walker_ written on it, his eyes quickly searched the papers for more information he might recognize but John put all the papers back into the folder before he could spot anything else.  
“Yeah, um… How have you been?” Joe asked trying to sound normal and not draw any unnecessary attention. _Why did he have something with Trudy’s name on it?_  
“Good thanks, and yourself?” John asked, his voice calm and casual.  
“Good, uh, I have to get back to work. See you around.” Joe left in a hurry walking past him. He turned to look at where John was headed; he went into the sheriff’s office. An uneasy feeling came over him. _It’s probably nothing_ he thought hoping that statement was true.

~~~

“Hey, how was your day?” Juliana asked Joe when he got home from work that evening. She was sitting up in bed reading when she heard him walk in.  
“Hey, um, it was okay. How about yours?” he asked sitting next to her.  
“Same as yesterday, and the day before that, oh and um, the day before that” she joked setting her book down beside her. “Did you talk to the sheriff today?”  
“Uh… yeah. He said he didn’t find anything. There’s no record of a Trudy Walker, at least not in San Francisco or around here. But…” he paused.  
“But?” she asked waiting for him to continue.  
“Promise me you won’t panic or worry too much, and try not to think too much into it...” He waited for her response, then continued when she nodded. “But I ran into John today, when I was leaving the sheriff’s office, he was going in. I bumped into him and he dropped a bunch of papers and I saw your sister’s name on one of the pages, but I didn’t really get a look at them. I don’t know what it was or why he had it, but I left right away.”  
She gripped his hand and turned away from him. “It’s him. He’s here… for me.”  
“We don’t know that for sure…” Joe said, but he didn’t exactly believe it.  
“Why else would he have something with Trudy’s name on it. When the sheriff didn’t even find anyone by that name.” Juliana’s face went white with fear.  
Joe reached his arm around pulling her into him.  
“And… what would John be doing going into the sheriff’s office?” Juliana thought aloud.  
“I don’t know… maybe I misread the name. It doesn’t really make sense. Even if there was someone who happens to have the same name, you’d think sheriff Campbell would have found them.” Joe wished desperately that he had answers for her.  
“Wait, Campbell? That name… I mean I know it’s probably a common name. There’s just something about it that I can’t place. It seems familiar in some way.” Juliana sighed heavily. “How much do you know about him, the sheriff?”  
“Not much, he hasn’t been here long, just transferred in a couple months back. I’ve run into him a couple times in town, but otherwise I haven’t talked to him much. He remembered my name when I went in last week… and he knows you’re pregnant. But he said it was just because it’s a small town.”  
Juliana looked back at him and he could see the worry on her face. “He must be working with John, maybe he’s from my world, and he’s here as a spy for John.”  
“I don’t think so…” Joe started. “It’s pretty normal for a small town.” Truthfully, he was considering the possibility, but he didn’t want to cause Juliana any unnecessary stress. “But it doesn’t hurt to stay open to the possibility,” he added when he saw the disapproving look on her face.  
She was silent, lost in her thoughts, as they sat there together for a while.  
“I’m going to make dinner,” he got up from the bed. “Just call me if you need anything.”  
She nodded then watched him leave the room. She couldn’t deny that she had been disappointed in the lack of findings about her sister. She had felt something different after her last dream about her sister. She had been so sure that Trudy was here, that she would see her again. But if the sheriff was working for John, that would explain why he hadn’t given Joe any information. She was nearly certain that this John was indeed the John from her world. There was too much happening to only be a coincidence. She wasn’t sure what his plan was, why he had searched for her; that scared her the most. Surely if he was here to kill her, he would have done it already. Maybe he was waiting, but for what? Her babies to be born, did he really care? She had doubts he would care about that. Maybe he needed her for something, but what? His being here meant that they had been successful with the machine. She had been away long enough she wouldn’t have any information on the group she was with before they captured her. She wasn’t sure how she was going to figure out what he wants, but she was worried.

Joe walked in with dinner for them both. He always sat with her so they could eat together. Other than cooking and going to work, he spent most of his time sitting in bed with her, but he didn’t mind.  
“I’m a little worried about being home alone now…” Juliana couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling she was left with. “I mean I know it’s probably fine if we made it this long. But what he suspects we’ve figured it out. Or what if he’s just waiting to make his move… whatever that might be.” She shuddered at the thought.  
“I’ve been a little uneasy about the thought of leaving you here as well,” he admitted. “I know you said last week that you didn’t need my mother to come, but I can always ask her. Then at least you have someone else here with you,” Joe wasn’t sure she would go for his suggestion, but it would certainly make him feel better knowing she had someone around.  
“Yeah, I think that would be good. If anything, it should distract me, keep my mind off everything.”  
“I’ll call her after I clean up from dinner. Hopefully she can come in the next couple days. Then you won’t be alone when I got back to work on Monday,” he said between bites of dinner.  
Juliana nodded in agreeance while she ate. She was looking forward to having someone home with her all day. Being home alone confined to bed hadn’t exactly been her idea of a good time.  
“You know, we haven’t really talked about names yet,” Joe said after he finished eating.  
“I’ve been throwing around a few in my head, but I don’t know.” She wasn’t sure why it hadn’t come up between them yet. “Do you have any that you like?”  
“Not really,” he shrugged, then gathered their plates. “I should go call my mother; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”  
When he came back Juliana was laying down with her eyes closed but she opened them when she heard him approach.  
“I’m not sleeping, I was just thinking about names,” she said with a small smile.  
They discussed some names for a while, but they didn’t come up with anything certain. They both felt that it would be best to have a couple picked out but wait until the babies arrived before actually picking their names.  
“Oh, my mother said she can come up Tuesday for the rest of the week. But she’ll have to see about staying longer after the weekend,” he almost forgot to tell her when they got distracted talking about names.  
“Okay, I think it will be wonderful to have her here.” _I only wish I could see some of my family too_ , Juliana thought with a touch of sadness. She knew this is where she was meant to be, and that her babies would be far safer here.  
Joe noticed the hint of sadness on her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked carefully.  
“I was just thinking how much it saddens me that my mother won’t get to meet her grandchildren. But I know that’s just not possible. I can only hope that someday I’ll see Trudy again.” Juliana sighed at the thought. Joe reached to take her hand, he felt bad that he couldn’t do anything more for her.

The next day just after they finished eating lunch Juliana had decided it was time to talk to Joe about her decision to go back to her world. She had been avoiding it since her dreams had stopped, but she couldn’t get Trudy’s words out of her head.  
“I’ve been thinking…” Juliana began, “I want your opinion, I haven’t made up my mind and I want to know how you feel. But I have this pulling urge to go back… to my world.” She watched his face for a minute. He didn’t say anything or look away from her. “I don’t want to, but I don’t feel like I have much of a choice. I wish there was some other way to fix it, but I think going back is the only way.” He stayed silent. “If I do go, I’ll wait until after the babies are born, I don’t want to risk anything happening.” His silence was killing her. “So?”  
“I don’t know Juliana.” She could hear the frustration in his voice. “I mean I guess I kind of saw it coming, but I was hoping it wouldn’t come to it. I don’t want you to go, I don’t want to lose you, or the babies.”  
“I wouldn’t stay there!” She realized that she hadn’t exactly made that clear. “I’d leave the babies here, with you. I would never bring them to that world” She cringed at the thought, but she couldn’t deny that the thought of leaving them, even temporarily, hurt her heart. She ran her hands over her belly.  
“I don’t know, what if something happened to you. It’s too risky,” he said, the frustration still present. He was trying to keep calm, knowing she didn’t have much of a choice, but he could only hold back so much. “We can try to find a different solution. There has to be someone around here who know more about travelling?” he suggested.  
The thought hadn’t occurred to her. “I only knew Trudy, but I’ve heard of others.” She sighed. She wished Trudy was there, or the very least that she could talk to her again.  
“We’ll try to find another way. And we’ll keep searching until we have no other options,” he said moving closer to her to hold her in his arms while they sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.  
He was determined to keep her here where it was safe. He couldn’t stand the thought of losing her, or of the babies losing their mother.


	14. Chapter 14

Juliana woke up in the middle of the night from a pain low in her belly. She shifted onto her side hoping to relieve it a bit, and thankfully it disappeared shortly after, but she couldn’t fall back asleep. A few minutes later she felt another pain, same thing, it didn’t last long. _I think I’m in labour!_ She thought to herself after a few more bouts of pain. She woke Joe up after a few more minutes of the consistent pains.  
“I think I’m in labour,” she said softly as he rolled over towards her.  
“What?” he asked, not quite awake enough to comprehend what she said.  
“I think I’m in labour!” she repeated herself firmly.  
He jumped out of bed. “But it’s still early. There’s still a month left!” he threw on some clothes then grabbed something for her to wear.  
“It’s okay, it’s not that early, not for twins.” She hadn’t expected him to react quite this way.  
“Sorry, I know… it just took me a couple minutes to wake up,” he apologized after noticing she seemed unimpressed by his last statement.  
“I know it’s the middle of the night,” she said after another contraction.  
“I’ll go wake my mother and let her know. I guess it’s lucky she got here a few days ago,” he said as he helped her dress, then left to go wake his mother.  
Juliana was thankful that Elsa was there, and luckily their week had been uneventful. Joe returned to help Juliana to the car. Elsa decided to accompany them and help out in any way possible.  
“Let’s get to the hospital and have these babies!” Joe was now fully awake and far too enthusiastic for Juliana’s current state.

~~~

The relatively short drive to the hospital felt like forever to Juliana, who was now in considerably more pain. Once they arrived, she was checked in right away and they found that she was a lot closer to giving birth than they had anticipated. Joe and Elsa sat in the waiting room as they had taken Juliana directly into the delivery room. Only immediate family- and no men- were allowed in the delivery room. But the staff allowed Elsa in occasionally to check on her.  
“It shouldn’t be much longer dear,” Elsa told Joe since she could tell he was getting restless.  
“Thanks, I hope everything is fine with the babies.” He couldn’t help but worry since it was still early.  
“I’m sure they’re fine. The doctors are taking good care of her” Elsa said trying to help ease her son’s worries. “You know, it’s the 10th… Which means their birthday is exactly one month before yours!”  
Joe looked up and smiled at her, he knew she was trying to distract him, and it was only mildly working.

~~~

“Okay dear, you’re almost there! Only a couple more pushes and the first one will be out!” the doctor said encouragingly.  
Juliana felt weak and tired after hours of pushing, and despite the pain medication they had given her, she was still extremely uncomfortable from the pain. _You can do this! Only a little bit longer and they’ll both be here!_ Juliana tried encouraging herself. After a couple more pushes, Juliana heard the cry of her first baby.  
“It’s a boy!” the nurse told her. She held the baby up for Juliana to see. She couldn’t help but notice how tiny he looked. The nurse quickly turned to put the baby in the incubator where they began checking him over. She had a few minutes of watching them work on her first born before she was instructed to push again. Shortly after she began the doctor stopped her.  
“Stop pushing” the doctor warned her quickly.  
Juliana began to panic at the doctor’s words.  
“The baby is stuck, so we just need to try and help it,” the nurse tried to reassure her. Trying to distract her, the nurse asked, “Do you and your husband have names picked out?”  
“Um…” Juliana didn’t bother correcting her about the husband part. “We have some picked up but nothing certain yet-“  
“Okay dear, you can push again,” the doctor instructed her.  
Two pushes later they held the second baby up very briefly for Juliana to see.  
“It’s a girl!” The nurse patted her hand. “You’re doing great!”  
“Why isn’t she crying?” Juliana asked concerned when they swiftly turned away and another doctor and a couple nursed swarmed the incubator that they placed her baby girl into.  
“The doctor is just going to check her over.”  
Juliana waited for the doctor’s words that her baby was okay, it felt like time was standing still, the room around her felt deathly quiet as she waited to hear her baby’s cry.  
Finally, she heard the sound of her baby’s faint cry and she released the breath she was holding. After a few minutes they wrapped both babies up and brought them to her for a couple minutes.  
“I’ll go tell your husband that you are all doing well!” the nurse assured her.  
 _Again, with the husband comment_ Juliana thought briefly before the little cries from her daughter brought her focus back to the two tiny babies in front of her. She was lost for words as she watched them in amazement.

~~~

“Mr. Blake?” the nurse asked.  
“Yeah,” Joe stood eagerly awaiting the news about Juliana and the babies. “How is she?”  
“They’re all doing great. The babies will be moved to the special care nursery shortly and you can go see them then,” she gestured to the sign behind her which pointed the way to the nursery. “You have a son and a daughter.”  
“Oh wow, that’s wonderful,” Elsa said since Joe was speechless. “Thank you!”  
A few minutes after the nurse left the Joe turned to his mother. “Wow, I can’t believe it. A boy and a girl.” He couldn’t hold back his delight at the news.  
“Let’s go meet my grandbabies,” Elsa said with a smile and turned to give him a small hug.  
They walked up to the window of the empty special care nursery. A few minutes later two incubators were rolled in and put along the far wall. A nurse came out and asked if he wanted to go in to meet his babies. They dressed him in a paper gown and led him to the two incubators.  
He couldn’t believe how tiny they were. He had never really seen babies that small and he definitely hadn’t held any that small. They both had small tubes in their noses and monitors strapped to one foot, among other various tubes and wires.  
“Since they were born early, we just want to make sure they grow and stay healthy,” the nurse informed him when he looked puzzled by the tubes and wires. “Do you want to hold one?” she asked. He still hadn’t said anything.  
He looked up at her in disbelief; they were so small and fragile. He nodded yes, then glanced back at Elsa who was standing on the other side of the glass with a huge smile on her face.  
“Would your mother like to hold the other baby?” the nurse asked when she noticed him looking back at her.  
“I think she would love to,” Joe said happily.  
The nurse moved the baby to his arms after he sat in one of the chairs between the two incubators. Once Joe was comfortable holding his baby girl, the nurse went and got Elsa ready to hold his little boy.  
Elsa looked up at Joe after staring at the tiny baby in her arms. “This is amazing Joseph. I’m so happy for you.” She looked back at the baby. “You know, he looks just like you when you were born.”  
Joe looked up at his mother. Her statement threw him off. He supposed it made sense, he just wasn’t expecting it. He smiled at her, unsure how to respond. _At least they resemble me_ he laughed in his head.  
He looked back at the babies and smiled. They were here and he couldn’t be happier.

~~~

A couple hours later, after Juliana had a chance to rest, Joe and Elsa decided to go see her. Elsa gave them a few minutes alone when they arrived at her room.  
“They’re perfect. You are amazing!” Joe said and gave her a short and sweet kiss. “How are you feeling?”  
“Tired, but better since I slept a bit.” She was leaning back on the slightly inclined bed.  
“Can I get you anything?” he asked her. She still looked exhausted.  
She nodded her head, “I think I might try and sleep a little more since I just finished feeding them.”  
“Of course. My mother is just outside, we will go get some lunch. Can we bring you anything back?” he asked her.  
“No, I’m okay, thanks. I’ll see you in a bit then,” she said with a smile. Resting her head back, she closed her eyes and was asleep before Joe closed the door behind him on his way out.

Two days later the babies were able to move out of the incubators into bassinets, which meant they were able to spend time in Juliana’s room with her. Joe and Elsa decided to bring Juliana lunch, since lunch was during visiting hours. She had just finished feeding them when they arrived. Elsa happily took one of the sleeping babies while Joe held the other so Juliana could eat.  
“So, have you two decided on names yet?” Elsa asked amused that they hadn’t shared any hints about names yet.  
Joe looked at Juliana and she nodded for him to tell her.  
“Michael and Maisie,” he said proudly.  
“Those are both perfect!” She looked adoringly at Maisie who was in her arms. “Beautiful.”  
Juliana smiled at Joe; she couldn’t help but feel overwhelming joy at their newest additions.  
“You two make the cutest babies,” Elsa said quietly lost in her stares at the baby in her arms.  
Juliana stifled a laugh at the comment which caused Joe to turn abruptly towards her giving her a concerned look.  
“Yeah, they are pretty perfect,” Joe replied to his mother. _What is with her comments?_ He thought to himself in amusement. Perhaps she originally questioned if he was their father, although if she had, she didn’t have any doubts now.

Juliana was happy when she and the babies were discharged from the hospital a week after the birth. Luckily, Elsa was able to stay for at least another week since Joe was still working Monday to Friday. Juliana was nervous about being home with the twins by herself so soon after being discharged. In the hospital they’d had strict schedules and the nurses were always there to help her, especially outside of visiting hours. Since the babies were premature, they were required to stay until the doctor was confident that they were healthy and could eat without any issues. Thankfully, everything had gone well and there were no problems.  
After they arrived home, their once quiet house was soon busy and noisy at times. Both babies had seemed to take on different eating and sleeping schedules, which left everyone very tired.  
“It will get better,” Elsa tried reassuring Juliana, who was currently feeding Michael, after she had just finished feeding Maisie.  
“Thanks, I know it will just take time to adjust-“ she stopped when she heard the phone ring.  
“I’ll get it,” Elsa offered and stood to leave.  
Juliana sat back as she watched in amazement as her tiny baby nursed. She knew that they both would grow so fast, so she was trying to enjoy their time as tiny newborns.  
Elsa’s sudden voice brought her out of her thoughts.  
“It was your friend Nancy; she’d heard you had the babies and wanted to tell your congratulations. I told her you were busy, but she said you can call her back when you have time.”  
“Oh, okay. Thanks.” Juliana hadn’t seen Nancy since they’d had coffee over a month ago. She had been put on bedrest shortly after, so she had only talked to Nancy on the phone a couple times. Truthfully, she hadn’t made much of an effort to see her since she discovered that John Smith was her boyfriend. The thought made her shudder, ultimately startling Michael. She frowned at the newly upset baby.  
“I’m sorry sweetie,” she whispered to him as she readjusted to resume feeding him.  
She pushed the thoughts of John out of her head. Neither her nor Joe had seen him since Joe bumped into him at the sheriff’s office, which she was happy about. She decided her time was best spent enjoying her new babies instead of worry about things she couldn’t control.


	15. Chapter 15

The weeks following the twins’ birth left Juliana and Joe exhausted. They were grateful that Elsa was able to stay as long as she had, but it came to an end too soon since she had returned home a couple nights prior.  
It was Juliana’s first day home alone with the babies, and she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious at the thought. She didn’t expect to get much- if anything- done around the house. Joe had assured her that she didn’t need to worry about it, and that it would take time to get used to being home alone with the babies.  
“I wish I could stay home with you three today,” Joe grumbled as he got dressed for work, although he knew she would be able to handle being home alone with them just fine. He still didn’t want to go to work. He was really enjoying the babies. He couldn’t think of anything better than one of his babies sleeping in his arms.  
“Nancy’s bringing me lunch today. I haven’t seen her in a while, and it will be nice to see her. Plus, she wants to meet the babies.” Juliana stood to get the baby that just started fussing. She picked him up and began rocking to soothe him.  
“Oh yeah, I remember you told me that last week,” Joe said as he finished getting ready.  
Juliana watched him as he walked over to the bassinet where their other baby was fast asleep. He leaned in to lightly kiss the top of her head. Then he walked over to where Juliana was sitting on the bed feeding Michael and gently kissed the top of the nursing baby’s head. He straightened to lightly kiss Juliana’s forehead. She couldn’t help but admire the way he kissed each of them before leaving for work, like he had done every day since they came home from the hospital.  
“I love you,” he told her. “Call the site if you need anything.”  
“I will. I love you too,” she said with a smile.  
Just as Juliana was finishing up feeding Michael, Maisie woke up ready to eat. The morning flew by as she fed, changed, and rocked the babies one after the other, in what seemed to be a continuous loop. She had lost track of what time it was by the time Nancy arrived with lunch.  
“Hey Juliana,” Nancy said when Juliana opened the door.  
“Hey Nancy. Thank you so much for bringing lunch!” Juliana greeted her friend. “Please come in. I just got both of them asleep, so we probably have a little bit of time to eat.”  
As they ate, Juliana shared all of her favourite things about being a mother so far.  
“So, you’re really here all day alone with both of them?” Nancy asked more out of shock than anything.  
“Well today is the first day. Joe’s mother was here last week, and we were in the hospital for a week before then.” Juliana stood to check on the babies after they finished eating. “We can sit in the other room. I’m just going to check on the babies.”  
As she walked into the nursery, she heard Maisie stirring so she brought her out to meet Nancy.  
“This is Maisie. Do you want to hold her?” She handed the baby to Nancy after she nodded.  
“She’s so tiny!” Nancy stared at the small baby in amazement. “Wow Juliana, she’s beautiful!”  
They sat quietly as Nancy cuddled the baby with the biggest smile on her face. Shortly after, Juliana heard Michael and went to retrieve him. She introduced him to Nancy, then switched babies with her so she could cuddle Michael.  
Nancy offered to clean up after lunch and do some laundry while Juliana fed the babies. Juliana appreciated the offer considering how much of her time two newborns took.  
“I should head out. I have to work later this afternoon and I should go get ready. Thank you so much for inviting me over. It was really great to see you again and meet your adorable babies.”  
“Thank you, Nancy. It was nice to see you too. We should get together again soon,” Juliana said.  
Nancy left with a smile on her face at her friend’s suggestion.  
Juliana couldn’t help but be thankful that Nancy hadn’t mentioned John.

~~~

Joe walked into the diner and noticed there were only a few other customers inside, so he sat at the counter to eat his lunch. After he ordered, a young woman with shoulder length brown hair approached the counter and sat a couple seats away from Joe. He couldn’t help but notice she looked slightly uncomfortable in some way and out of place.  
“Um, excuse me?” she asked the waiter whose back was turned to her.  
“Yes dear?” he replied once he turned to face her. “Can I get you a coffee?”  
“Um, sure, thanks.” She waited until he poured it then continued, “I don’t know if you’ll be able to help, but I’m looking for someone.”  
“I can try, what’s the name?”  
“Juliana Crain.”  
Joe’s head turned suddenly towards her when he heard. He was staring at her in confusion about who would be asking for Juliana. After all, she wasn’t exactly a local.  
“Yeah. She worked here a few months back, I haven’t really seen her much since…” the waiter turned to Joe. “You can ask him though,” he said with a grin.  
The girl turned to Joe with a questioning look on her face.  
“You know my sister?”  
Joe was speechless. _Sister?_ They had spent weeks trying to find anything they could on Trudy, but they’d had zero luck. Now here she was. They had just happened to be in the diner at the same time.  
“Yeah, I know her,” he said cautiously. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was somehow a trap. He didn’t know what Trudy looked like, and they were still being cautious because they hadn’t figured out anything more about the whole John Smith situation.  
“How is she?” Trudy asked. “Where’s she living, do you know how I can find her? I’ve been looking for her for weeks!”  
“She’s good.” He wasn’t comfortable just bringing this girl to their house. “Can we talk somewhere else, later this evening maybe?” he said quietly to avoid anyone nearby hearing him. He didn’t want people talking about why he was hesitating to reconnect Juliana and her sister.  
“Um, sure,” she replied with a confused look on her face. “I’m staying at the Redwood Inn. Can we meet at the part across the street?”  
“Yeah that sounds good. I’ll be there at 6.” That gave Joe time to pick Juliana up so she could go with him to make sure that this woman was indeed Trudy.  
Shortly after their brief conversation, she finished her coffee and left. Joe was still surprised by the events that had just happened. He ate his lunch silently then returned to work for the afternoon.

~~~

Juliana just finished feeding both babies when Joe came home from work, a little earlier than usual.  
“You’ll never believe what happened today!” Joe whispered after kissing Juliana on the forehead. Maisie was asleep in her arms and Michael was asleep in the bassinet beside the couch.  
She looked up at him questioningly.  
“I think I found your sister!”  
Juliana’s mouth fell open in shock. “What?” she barely managed.  
“Yeah, I was having lunch and a girl came into the diner asking about you and said she was your sister. I don’t know what your sister looks like, so I didn’t just want to bring her back here, you know, in case it wasn’t her…” He stopped since she still looked extremely shocked. “So anyways, I didn’t tell her anything about you, or us, but I told her I’d meet up with her later this evening. I figured we could go together, and you can make sure it’s actually her.”  
Juliana was still speechless; she couldn’t believe it. She had been desperate to find Trudy, and now she was here, looking for her; well, it was probably her.  
“When tonight?” Juliana asked quietly after she moved Maisie into the other bassinet.  
“6, at the park across from the Redwood Inn.” They were in the kitchen now, and Joe began making dinner.  
Juliana heard the faint stirring of one of the babies and went to see who it was. She returned to the kitchen with Michael in her arms.  
“I swear they know as soon as the other falls asleep,” Joe laughed.  
He picked the small baby up from Juliana’s arms and watched as he stirred and wiggled in his arms. It still amazed him how tiny they were. Juliana finished cooking dinner while Joe walked around and cuddled with Michael. Just as they were about to eat, Juliana heard Maisie wake from her nap.  
“I swear they also know when we’re about to eat,” she laughed and rolled her eyes jokingly. She fed both babies again as Joe ate his dinner; then he held one and played with the other while she ate her dinner. After she finished eating, she packed up some stuff for the babies and they headed to the park to meet Trudy.  
“I really hope it’s her,” Juliana said with a sigh. Based on Joe’s description it definitely sounded like it was Trudy. They drove out to the park in silence; both babies had fallen asleep almost immediately when they started driving. Joe parked in the empty parking lot and they sat in the car waiting for Trudy to show up.  
“If it’s her, you should go. She’ll be happy to see you. I can sit here with Michael and Maisie where it’s safest,” Joe said as Juliana looked in the direction of the inn, although, they couldn’t see it from the parking lot they were in.  
It was just starting to get dark when Juliana noticed Trudy walking towards the pond.  
“Joe, it’s her. It really is her!” Juliana couldn’t believe her eyes. “I’ll go talk to her!” she opened the door and headed out to greet her sister.  
“Jules?” Trudy said in disbelief when she turned at the sound of someone approaching her. “How did you-“  
“Trudy! I can’t believe you’re really here!” Juliana cut her off running up to embraced her in a hug.  
“That guy I met at lunch… did he tell you?” Trudy asked.  
“Yes,” Juliana said confused by the worried look on her sister’s face. “That was Joe. He’s my… um, we’re together.” She wasn’t sure exactly what or how much to tell her sister yet.  
Trudy sighed with relief. “It always makes me nervous asking around for you. I know you’re not from this world.”  
“You are?” Juliana asked her sister.  
“Yes. The Juliana I grew up with disappeared a few years ago. We don’t know exactly what happened, but I knew she was no longer with us,” she said sadly. “I’m so happy I found you though! I’ve been looking for months. This place just kind of just came to me in a dream.”  
Juliana looked at her in disbelief once again. _Were our dreams connected in some way?_ “In a dream…?”  
“You too?” Trudy asked surprised that Juliana had brought up the dreams. “We should go somewhere to talk; it’s getting dark. Did you drive here?”  
“Um, yeah, well Joe drove me,” she looked back at the parking lot and noticed another car had pulled in. _Weird, I haven’t seen anyone else walk by,_ Juliana thought briefly but was distracted by Trudy’s next question.  
“Why didn’t he come with you?” Trudy asked curiously.  
“Well… um, why don’t you just come with me? We can head back to the house and talk.”  
“Okay...” Trudy was clearly confused by Juliana’s reaction.  
Once they got back to the car, Joe stepped out and smiled at them.  
“Thank you for bringing my sister to me!” Trudy smiled at Joe.  
“I’m happy you two have found each other,” he replied simply.  
“Trudy, uh, this is Michael and Maisie.” She motioned to the two babies sleeping in the back seat of the car. “You can ride up front and I’ll sit back here with the babies.”  
“Juliana… Wow, I can’t believe you’re a mother!” Trudy said in shock. She looked at the sleeping babies in awe. “They’re perfect!”

After stopping at Trudy’s hotel to gather her things, they headed back to Joe and Juliana’s place. Joe made tea and a snack for them while Juliana fed the babies and got them ready for bed. Trudy was surprised it took nearly two hours to get both babies settled and asleep. She had next to no experience with babies and was amazed with everything she was learning about her sister.  
“You mentioned something about dreams earlier. Does that mean that when I saw you in my dream, it was actually you?” Juliana asked her sister as they sat on the couch together. Joe had gone off to do something else to give them some time alone to catch up.  
“I think in some way yes. I also don’t think is was exactly a dream, more like a connection between us. I don’t actually know much about it. Everyone I had spoken to wasn’t aware of any such connection,” Trudy watched her sister’s reaction.  
“I guess that makes sense. I was always exhausted after waking up from the ‘dreams’ that I was almost questioning it myself,” Juliana said thinking back to how miserable she was. “I mostly blamed it on being pregnant though.”  
“I don’t think it was because you were pregnant. I felt pretty similar afterwards as well. How long have you been here, in this world?” Trudy asked carefully.  
“Since the end of summer. That’s the other thing I thought was contributing to the exhaustion. I know it can get to be too much for travelers to be away from their world too long. I’ve seen it happen before.” Juliana deliberately left out that it was her sister who she had seen it from.  
“When are you going back?” Trudy asked. She saw Juliana’s expression turn sad and look away when she asked the question. “I mean, uh, are you going back?”  
Juliana looked back at her sister. “I don’t know. That world… I can’t imagine raising Michael and Maisie there. Not to mention leaving Joe here…” she trailed off. “I couldn’t.”  
“He’s from here?” Trudy asked in shock.  
Juliana nodded at her.  
“But… the babies… you were pregnant…”  
Juliana nodded again. Her sister very quickly put it together. “Yes, I was pregnant when I got here…”  
“But the babies resemble Joe so much!” she stopped and gasped at the realization. “In your world, it was him, wasn’t it?” she asked barely a whisper.  
“You don’t miss anything!” Juliana laughed slightly at her sister’s shocked expression. “And yes, he knows.”  
Trudy was speechless. After a few minutes she dared to ask. “Why wouldn’t you want to go back…”  
Juliana knew she wanted to ask why she didn’t go back to the babies’ ‘real’ father.  
“Another time Tru?” Juliana reached for her hand and gave her a gentle squeeze before standing. “It’s getting late. I should try and sleep before the babies wake up to eat.”  
Trudy took the hint and smiled at her sister.  
“Sounds good sis. I’ll see you in the morning.”


	16. Chapter 16

A few weeks had passed, and Juliana was delighted to have her sister in her life again. Juliana and Joe had insisted that Trudy stay with them instead of at the hotel; although it didn’t take much to persuade her. Trudy immediately searched for a job in town since she was planning to stay and ultimately wanted her own place. Juliana wasn’t completely comfortable with Trudy being on her own just yet, since she had actually been living in San Francisco prior to finding Juliana. The three of them were nearly certain that the sheriff was indeed working with John Smith, which meant they felt safer together.  
Trudy was able to get a job waitressing at the diner that Juliana had worked at when she first arrived. She spent the morning and most of the afternoon with Juliana and the twins before she left for work in the evenings. Juliana was thankful for the help her sister offered her throughout the day, although she had insisted that it wasn’t necessary. She did enjoy the time with her sister though.  
It was getting late one evening when Trudy still hadn’t returned from work, which began to worry Juliana. Her schedule was pretty consistent.  
“She probably just got caught up at work. Maybe it was unusually busy tonight or something. Maybe they were short staffed. I’m sure she’ll be home soon.” Joe tried reassuring Juliana. Both babies were asleep already. They had already climbed into bed, but Juliana had a habit of waiting for Trudy to come home before she would go to sleep.  
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Juliana agreed with a yawn.  
“Why don’t you go to sleep. I’ll wait up for her,” Joe offered.  
Juliana nodded before closing her eyes. Joe decided to leave the room so he wouldn’t wake her while he waited.  
He had fallen asleep on the couch when he heard the lock on the front door. Trudy entered quietly knowing that everyone was likely asleep.  
Joe rubbed his hands over his face as he sat up straight on the couch.  
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get in so late. Things got a little busy at work” Trudy apologized to an obviously sleepy Joe.  
“No worries. Juliana was worried about you, so I offered to wait up… but I fell asleep” he said with a slight laugh then looked at the clock. It was over an hour past when she usually arrived home.  
Trudy walked up to him and sat on the chair across from him.  
“Thanks” Trudy said quickly.  
Joe looked slightly confused by her words.  
“For waiting up… and for taking care of Jules.” Trudy watched him as she continued. “I know she’s not the same sister I grew up with, but I can’t help but feel like she is… in some way. I know she’s been through so much, more than I can imagine, but I can also see that she’s happy here, with you.”  
He stared at her unsure how to respond. “I, um, can’t really explain it, but I know how you feel.”  
She wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by it.  
He elaborated. “When she first uh, arrived here, I knew there was something between us. I couldn’t figure it out at first, it felt like she had been missing from my life for all these years, but I had never met her before. It wasn’t until she told me where she was from that I began to understand why I had felt like that.”  
Trudy smiled understanding now that he too had felt connected to Juliana.  
“Despite how crazy everything sounded, I always knew what she told me was true. I knew it was hard for her to tell me about the life she came from. She suffered through so much. I want to make sure that never happens again. I can’t imagine her going back to that. Maybe it’s selfish, but I want her to stay here, where she’s safe, where she’s happy.”  
“I want that for her too. She’s only told me a little bit about the life she came from, but I’ve heard some things about that world from others. No one wants to be there,” Trudy shuddered at the memories others had told her.  
“I’m sure she’s told you, but she says she needs to go back. That something is waiting there for her…” he was saddened by the thought.  
Trudy watched him carefully. She knew Juliana was right, despite the restless feeling almost completely disappearing since Trudy arrived. “I know. I don’t want her to go back either…” Trudy’s gaze dropped to her hands in her lap. She nervously pulled at the hem of her shirt.  
“Is there something… someway… so she doesn’t have to leave?” he asked quietly.  
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I wish I had a better answer.”  
He looked up at her and smiled. “Thanks,” he stood. “I should get to bed. Goodnight Trudy.”  
“Goodnight,” she said as she watched him leave the room. She wasn’t sure how she was going to help Juliana, but she knew that was the reason she had found her sister.

“Good morning Trudy,” Juliana greeted her sister with a cup of coffee.  
Juliana had been up for a couple hours with the twins by the time her sister got up.  
“Hey, sorry I was home so late last night. You guys don’t have to wait up for me, you know,” Trudy said after taking a sip of coffee.  
“I sleep better knowing you’re here safe,” Juliana admitted. “And Joe offered to wait up last night. Although he confessed this morning that he had fallen asleep.”  
Trudy laughed slightly at the thought of finding Joe asleep on the couch. “I think that’s just part of having kids.”  
“Yeah. I can’t believe it’s been over two months already! It feels like just yesterday I was in the hospital with them.”  
“I wish I could have been there for you,” Trudy groaned. “But I’m happy you had Joe and his mother.”  
“Yes, Elsa was a huge help those first couple weeks. Oh… speaking of, she’s coming to visit this weekend. I told her you’re staying with us. She’s just planning to come up for the afternoon, and maybe dinner. She’s only lives a couple hours away.”  
“It will be great to meet her,” Trudy replied truthfully. She had heard quite a bit about her from Juliana, all good things of course.  
“I should go feed and change them.” Juliana stood at the sound of cries coming from the nursery.  
“I’ll come help,” Trudy offered, following her sister out of the kitchen. 

“I’ve been wondering… have you been feeling restless at all recently?” Trudy asked Juliana after they finished lunch.  
“No, at least I don’t think so. I’ve definitely been tired, but I think that’s more from the lack of sleep. It’s different than what I felt before,” Juliana answered truthfully. Although she hadn’t spent much time thinking about it the past few weeks, it had crossed her mind a couple times. She wasn’t specifically sure why she was suddenly feeling the effects less. But she had a feeling why.  
“I’m not certain, but I think that’s because we found each other. I think the life you have here is where you’re meant to be,” Trudy smiled at her. “I was thinking about it a bit last night after I got off work. I know it doesn’t exactly help the John Smith situation, but I think it at least solves one problem.”  
Juliana sighed at the thought. She wasn’t sure what to do about John Smith, they still hadn’t confirmed that he was indeed there for her, since he hadn’t done anything, yet. “I don’t know what to do about him either. I’ve mostly been avoiding Nancy for that very reason. I’m too nervous to say something about him in front of her.”  
“We’ll figure it out. As long as he keeps to himself, we have time to come up with a plan.” Trudy knew it was stressful for Juliana to think about. “I’ll go make some tea. Can I bring you anything else?” she asked.  
“Just the tea is good, thanks.”  
Trudy returned a few minutes later with the tea and sat across from Juliana.  
“I’m not sure how to ask this, so I’m sorry if it’s overstepping and of course you don’t need to answer if you don’t want to… But that first night I was here… You said you wouldn’t you go back. Why is that?” Trudy asked nervously. She could tell that Juliana was happy here, that her life was meant to be here, but she could help but wonder what her sister had been though that led her to this situation. It wasn’t exactly normal for travellers to be better off in a different world.  
“I’ll answer, of course, I did say I would tell you. You’ll just have to bear with me, it’s kind of hard for me to bring it all up again. How much do you know about where I came from?”  
“I met a few people from there. I know the Nazi’s occupy a lot of the US. But no one I spoke with really knew much about living in the Reich. Most of them avoided it, for obvious reasons.”  
Juliana told Trudy about Joe from her world. “…when he returned from Berlin, I knew the re-education he underwent had changed him. As much as I wished he were telling me the truth when he said it was just a job, that he was still the same man I got to know previously… I knew he had changed. The way he spoke, his temperament, had all changed. Maybe others couldn’t see it, but I knew. It was probably stupid on my part to get close… uh, get um… intimate with him, but part of me wished it were all in my head. That he hadn’t changed. But I wouldn’t be here if things had gone differently. I knew that night in his hotel that I had no other option. After I found that pin, I knew he was sent to kill me. I could hardly believe it. At least I didn’t want to believe it… But I knew…”  
“You did what you had to, to get away, to keep yourself alive,” Trudy finished for her. She understood what her sister couldn’t bring herself to say.  
Juliana nodded and blinked back the tears in her eyes. “A couple weeks later the Nazis captured me. That’s when I was able to get here. I actually landed a little way away from the house here. Joe found me on his porch. He helped me from the start, more than I could ever have imagined. He stayed by me through everything, even after telling him the truth, about where I came from and who he was to me in that world.”  
“I’m sorry, for everything you’ve been through,” Trudy said with sincerity. “I could tell right away that you are both happy here.”  
“I never thought this life would be possible. I actually didn’t want children, back in my world. It terrified me, the thought of bringing children into that world. But now I can’t imagine my life without them.” Juliana smiled at her sister. “I’m also extremely happy we’ve found each other. I know we didn’t grow up together, but I can feel the connection we have.”  
Juliana picked up one of the now awake babies.  
“I know what you mean,” Trudy said. “I should go get ready for work. Thanks for telling me. If you ever need to talk about it, I’m always here to listen. I love you sis.”  
“Thanks Trudy, I love you too.”

On Saturday, Elsa came by for the afternoon. Elsa and Joe, with Trudy’s help, planned a surprise date afternoon for Juliana and Joe. Elsa and Trudy were happy to watch the twins for a few hours to give Joe and Juliana some much needed time alone.  
“We have everything we need, you two can go and enjoy yourselves!” Elsa said with a smile as Juliana got ready for her date. “I’ve done this before, and Trudy’s been here for over a month now so I’m sure she knows what she’s doing. Plus, it’s only a few hours; before you know it, you’ll be home again.”  
“Yes! You’ll have a great time!” Trudy told her excitedly. “We will be good here, nothing to worry about!”  
“Thank you both, I really appreciate it. You’re both wonderful!” Juliana thanked them repeatedly. She was definitely surprised when they told her at lunch.  
She kissed each baby and said goodbye before leaving with Joe.  
“So where are we going?” she asked him once they were in the car.  
“It’s a surprise!” he answered simply.


End file.
